When Pixar introduced Toy Story audiences to Bonnie, she was simply the little girl who inherited Woody, Buzz and the gang from Andy at the end of Toy Story 3 (2010). But for many autistic families, Bonnie has become something more: a character whose experiences feel surprisingly familiar.Pixar has never described Bonnie as autistic. She was created to represent the challenges many children face as they grow up and encounter new social situations. But her difficulties with change, her anxiety around friendships and her deep attachment to her toys make her feel distinctly familiar to many autistic people, including myself.I watched Toy Story 5 with my autistic children and found myself seeing Bonnie through that lens more strongly than ever.Of course, nobody can diagnose a fictional character. But audiences often recognise traits and experiences that reflect their own lives. When people describe a character as “autistic-coded”, they mean that the character displays behaviour or ways of relating to the world that many autistic people identify with, even if the creators never intended them to be autistic.Bonnie first appears in Toy Story 3 as a shy preschooler. She stays close to her mother and seems hesitant in unfamiliar situations. This behaviour is common among many young children. But it can also feel familiar to parents of autistic children, who often see their children struggling to navigate social expectations that come naturally to others.It is in Toy Story 4 (2019) that Bonnie’s story began to resonate with me more deeply. Starting school is a major transition for any child. For autistic children, it can be especially overwhelming. New routines, unfamiliar people, noise, uncertainty and a maze of unwritten social rules can all make the experience feel daunting.On her first day at kindergarten, Bonnie finds herself sitting alone. She struggles to connect with her classmates and becomes distressed when another child takes some of her craft materials. In response, she creates Forky, a toy made from a plastic spork, pipe cleaners and scraps from the classroom craft box.Forky quickly becomes far more than a craft project. Bonnie writes her name on him and takes him everywhere. To her, he is a source of comfort and security.Many autistic children form strong emotional attachments to particular objects, toys or characters. These attachments can provide predictability and reassurance in situations that otherwise feel confusing or stressful. The scene is also difficult to watch as a parent. My own five-year-old often chooses to sit away from other children when a classroom becomes too noisy or overwhelming. Like many autistic children, he is not only processing the activity itself but also trying to decode countless social cues that others seem to understand instinctively. Toy Story 5 Official Trailer. Those experiences stayed with me while watching Toy Story 5. Bonnie is now a little older and trying to navigate the increasingly complicated social world of middle childhood. This time, technology plays a central role. Through a new tablet device, she communicates with three girls from her dance class online.For many neurodivergent children, digital communication can feel safer and easier than face-to-face interaction. Without the pressure of reading facial expressions, managing eye contact or responding immediately, friendships can sometimes feel more accessible. Read more: How realistic is Mattel’s new autistic Barbie? But Bonnie’s attempts to connect do not go as planned. After being mocked for her beloved Jessie doll, her anxiety deepens. The fear of rejection becomes impossible to ignore.Again, this is not an experience unique to autistic children. But it is one that many autistic viewers may recognise. Studies show that autistic young people are more likely to experience loneliness and social exclusion than their non-autistic peers. Austistic special interestThe film also introduces Blaze, a girl whose passion for horses borders on all-consuming. Her room is filled with horse figurines and horse-themed possessions. To autistic audiences, this may feel reminiscent of what is known as a “special interest”, which is an intense, highly focused enthusiasm for a particular subject.When Blaze temporarily comes into possession of Bonnie’s Jessie and Bullseye dolls, she throws herself into imaginative play. Watching from a distance, Bonnie recognises something in her. The friendship that develops between the two girls became one of the most moving parts of the film for me.Autism researchers often talk about the “double empathy problem”. This is the idea that communication difficulties between autistic and non-autistic people are not simply caused by autistic people failing to understand others. Instead, both groups can struggle to understand each other because they experience and interpret the world differently. Read more: How autistic and non-autistic people can understand each other better Whether Pixar intended it or not, Bonnie and Blaze seemed to embody that idea to me. They connect not by changing who they are, but by recognising something familiar in one another.Of course, Bonnie is not officially autistic. Nor does she need to be. Representation is not only about labels. Sometimes it is about recognition. For autistic children, seeing aspects of their own experiences reflected on screen can be deeply validating. The world often asks neurodivergent children to adapt themselves to fit in. Stories like Bonnie’s offer a different message: that meaningful friendships are often built not on conformity, but on understanding.Pixar may have intended Toy Story 5 as a story about childhood, friendship and the growing influence of technology. But sitting beside my autistic children, I saw something else as well. It was a reminder that children who feel different often find each other eventually. And when they do, there is a particular kind of joy in being understood exactly as you are.Erin Beeston does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.