“They Wouldn’t Let Poor Rudolph Play in Any Reindeer Games”: Individuals on the Autism Spectrum as Social Misfits in Organisations

This chapter uses the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to examine the social misfit of individuals on the autism spectrum in neuronormative organisations. The author analyses the 1939 storybook and 1964 film to illustrate how difference becomes stigmatised through social construction and power relations. Drawing on Goffman’s theory of stigma and the neurodiversity paradigm, the author argues that individuals on the autism spectrum often experience “repeating social misfit” because their communication and behavioural styles diverge from neurotypical expectations. The Rudolph metaphor reveals how masking and camouflaging, like Rudolph’s false nose, may enable temporary acceptance but lead to stress, exhaustion, and the loss of authenticity. The chapter integrates research on stigma, misfit, and neurodiversity to explain how organisational cultures sustain neuronormativity and exclusion. It concludes with practical guidance for reducing social misfit by promoting cross-neurotype communication. By combining narrative analysis and organisational behaviour theory, the chapter advances understanding of misfit as a socially constructed condition rooted in dominant norms and demonstrates that neuroinclusion requires changing systems rather than individuals.