Day 190

Some of my friends recommended that I talk about autism in the media, specifically in Parenthood, Community, and The Big Bang Theory. I haven’t seen Community or Big Bang, but occasionally watch Parenthood and recently watched the episode when Max, an 8-year-old with Asperger Syndrome, discovers that he has autism. This video shows his parents explaining autism for the second time after being unprepared when Max overheard an earlier conversation. They are accurate, simple, and use constructive language; overall the scene is uplifting and realistic. They also bring up Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome by 13-year-old Luke Jackson, which is where I got the idea to read the book. Having Asperger Syndrome himself, Jackson believes that:

“A child should be told and the sooner the better… Although a child may go through [the] period of asking questions or being angry and upset, in my mind that is still no excuse not to tell them. Parents, you are not protecting them because feeling as if you are a ‘freak’ is horrible at any time and much worse when you don’t know the reasons why” (30, 37).