PERSONAL NARRATIVE
Atypical View from an Autism Mom:
AutismTV is Not a Hashtag!
By Sharlene T. SMITH, PhD
Atypical, The Good Doctor, The Accountant
These are just a few TV shows that feature characters with autism spectrum disorder
(ASD). Sesame Street now has Julia, a character with autism. I find it thought-provoking
how so many people are excited to tell parents of children on the spectrum that these
shows exist.
M
ore than likely, we are already aware
because we subscribe to every blog,
newsletter, page, and support and ad-
vocacy group imaginable. Although I
have found the Sesame Street episodes
educational, I have tried to watch a
few episodes of Atypical. And despite
widespread belief, I found the episodes to be atypi-
cally painful to watch.
As I sat through the first few minutes, I found it abso-
lutely horrifying to know that is how the world views
those on the spectrum. To be showing this view to
the public, no matter how much awareness it brings
to the ASD community, was painful to watch. How
much news is good news for the autism community?
If these shows are your first exposure to the autism
community, is this how you will subconsciously view
those on the spectrum?
Although our kids already face the stigma of being
who they are, will they face equal criticism for who
they are not? If they don’t behave like those on the
shows, are they to be considered “less” all over again?
I must say I have not invested the time that would
be expected in watching the episodes of the shows.
Somehow, I am less interested in my real life pain,
struggles, sacrifices, misunderstandings, judgments,
empathies, sympathies, and strange looks than those
depicted on a national TV show for entertainment
purposes masked in the label “Autism Awareness.”
For a mother whose child is only in first grade and in
her second year of public school, it’s been the most
exhausting educational experience EVER, and I hold
a PhD. So watching a few episodes of what a child in
a school setting experiences on a daily basis is heart-
breaking. We know our children face challenges, and
they work their butts off to rise to every challenge.
But to add a documented visualization, editorial-
ized and broadcasted for the world to see, is atypi-
cally gut-wrenching. So even as I “Netflix and Chill”
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74 |
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