7 Shows to Inspire Parents of Kids with Autism
These shows give comfort that there are ways kids with autism can have a long and fulfilling life.
One of the biggest fears of parents of kids with autism is wondering what kind of future they could possibly have. Besides the countless therapy sessions and dealing with the guilt that it may have been genetic, it’s also difficult to find shows where kids with autism and their parents can identify with the characters. Here is a list of shows that have characters that kids with autism can identify with.
1. The Good Doctor
Freddie Highmore was praised for his role in The Good Doctor as Doctor Shaun. From his thought processes and even meltdowns, Highmore captured the many aspects of being a working adult with ASD. There was even a specific episode on how he was able to walk a patient with ASD through a procedure as well as deal with the parents who first doubt his capabilities as a surgeon.
2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
K-Dramas have always been wholesome and Extraordinary Attorney Woo is no different! Park Eun Bin once shared that she studied heavily to portray Woo Young Woo, an aspiring lawyer with Asperger’s Syndrome. In an interview with Soompi, Park made it her “moral responsibility” to emphasize Woo’s unique traits. “I decided that it was my moral responsibility to exclude references as much as possible and not use real autistic people as a means, in order to emphasize Woo Young Woo’s uniqueness. Woo Young Woo is not a representative or spokesperson for autistic people so I wanted to show her individual traits.”
Her role sends a message that we should go beyond the label of autism and embrace them for the many unique traits they have as an individual.
3. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
Another K-Drama to add, showing the dynamics of a sibling relationship. Moon Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-hyun) takes care of his older brother, Moon Sang-tae (played by Oh Jung Se), who has autism. The show also sheds light on different psychiatric disorders with Moon Gang-tae working as a caretaker in a psychiatric ward. It’s a wholesome series on how people learn to cope, move on, and live with their disorder with the help and comfort of others.
4. Pablo
One of the more child-friendly ones, Pablo is a YouTube series focusing on the show’s namesake: a 5-year-old with autism. He then draws many characters to help him cope with his anxiety as he does things in his daily life such as going to the supermarket, etc. It’s even more relatable because the main cast of Pablo all are on the spectrum and co-wrote the scripts, too—taking inspiration from their daily lives.
5. Loop
A movie short made by Pixar, Loop focuses on two characters: Marcus and Renee. The beauty of this is it shows that though Renee is non-verbal, they are able to still have fun while rowing a canoe across the lake. The short even shows how she uses a soundboard to communicate with him.
6. Forrest Gump
The inspiring movie of Forrest Gump with the titular character played by Tom Hanks is a tribute to how the real-life Forrest Gump became successful. Despite being born at a time when autism was not well-understood, he became successful and made friends with Bubba. Although different from the novel, it still focuses on how he became Bubba’s partner in the famous restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
7. Please Stand By
Played by the young Dakota Fanning, Please Stand By is a movie about a woman named Wendy who has autism and excitedly goes on a journey to deliver her 500-page script of Star Trek to Hollywood. The movie also makes many references to her favorite character, Spock, with his line, “It is there for us to conquer, not to fear.”
Representation goes a long way for these kids and parents!
It’s only nowadays that we see more characters representing different parts of society. From Hallee Bailey playing Ariel in the live-action Little Mermaid to cartoons like Encanto and Turning Red covering more complex issues in families, these movies and shows offer relief from the silver screen that there is someone who has the same story. The joy of finding someone to identify with does go a long way.
More stories about autism or families dealing with it:
What Martin Nievera Learned About His Son’s Autism
Autism: In The Eyes of A Child And Now, An Adult
Michelle Dee On Understanding and Championing Autism Awareness
