Representing Autism on Instagram: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of ASAN’s Content

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores how autism is represented on social media, situating it within the field of communication studies, specifically strategic communications. The relevance of this thesis lies in advancing understandings of social media advocacy and how representations of autism are constructed and communicated on Instagram by asking the research question “how is autism represented on Instagram by a global advocacy organisation?” The thesis is theoretically informed by Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (text, discursive practice and social practice) alongside the Pyramid Model of Social Media Based Advocacy (reaching out to people, keeping the flame alive and stepping up to action). Methodologically, the research applies Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse 29 Instagram posts published between January 1st and March 31st, 2026, focusing on the linguistic and semiotic elements of the posts. The findings identify five discourses: educational advocacy and information dissemination; community, identity and collective belonging; policy and rights-based advocacy; emotion, lived experience and advocacy; mobilisation advocacy. These discourses demonstrate that representations of autism are multi-dimensional, constructing autism as a complex and socially embedded occurrence. The analysis highlights how these discourses reflect efforts to challenge and potentially redistribute power by amplifying diverse voices within advocacy practices. The findings suggest that these interconnected discourses contribute to constructing representations of autism through inclusive, rights-based and community-oriented understandings. This thesis shows social media’s role as a space where advocacy and representation overlap, defining understandings of autism and disability while encouraging audience engagement. The study suggests that social media platforms such as Instagram function as strategic communication tools in which organisations distribute their messages, engage audiences in advocacy processes and encourage participation in advocacy efforts.