Have you heard about the new show called “Parenthood?” There’s been promos all over the place for it – it’s based off the movie with the same name (we all remember Steve Martin dressing up as Cowboy Gil to save his son’s birthday party, right!?). The show looks funny…and I’ve been anxious to watch it.

And I just found (via this article) another reason why I want to check it out – one of the characters (“Max”) on the show is diagnosed with autism, specifically Asperger’s – or at least it’s suggested he has Asperger’s. As the article points out, we’ve seen more and more people with autism on reality shows such as The Amazing Race and America’s Next Top Model. However, fictional characters with autism on TV shows aren’t something we really see. Yes, we can look at certain characters on various TV shows that may be perceived as being autistic – but there has been no official “diagnosis” given.

I think it will be very interesting to see how the character of Max on Parenthood plays out and to see what sort of reaction, if any, it gets from its audience and the autism community. Will it be a realistic portrayal?  What sort of characteristics will the writers use for Max? How will his parents deal? Yes, the show is supposed to be a comedy from what I understand, but I do think it’s a real opportunity to shed even more light on autism by bringing the disorder into people’s living rooms each week. To have written a character into the show with autism is an indication that awareness is growing, wouldn’t you agree?

I still have to catch up and watch the first episode. If you watched it, I’d be curious to hear what you thought. Share your feedback below in our comments section.

What does autism mean to us today? It means new characters. What about you?

Best,
Jenifer