My criticisms of Atypical’s freshman season were certainly no secret, as I shared my feelings both publicly in various news outlets and privately with Robia Rashid, the show’s creator.  At the time, I mentioned that a lot of issues could be fixed, but my biggest problem with season one was the lack of autistic involvement.  To remedy this problem, I suggested that, at the very least, an autistic consultant needed to be hired for season two.  Fortunately my suggestion was taken to heart, and with the addition of autistic consultant David Finch many of the show’s major problems have been addressed.  From the moment I began watching season two, I felt freed from the brackish misrepresentations that distracted me in viewing the first season and I was consequently able to enjoy the show. I even laughed out loud during a few of its funniest moments.

I am very surprised that the show improved as much as it did and while I intend this review of season two to be very positive, I think I will need to go through some of the problems I had with season one in order to fully convey how big of a leap forward the creators took in the show’s sophomore year.

Alex Plank with cast members Keir Gilchrist & Michelle Farrah Huang

Another incident in the first season that I felt was not positive was the depiction of Sam breaking into his therapist’s house to leave her a box of chocolates. In season two, Sam continues talking with his therapist, who surprisingly takes his calls despite his behavior in season one.  I think that she seems accepting of this communication out of guilt over the way she handled things in the first season.

In general, Sam’s relationships in season two are much more realistic and, more importantly, are extremely positive from a standpoint of portraying autism in an accurate and constructive manner. For instance, instead of furthering the myth that those on the spectrum cannot have a romantic relationship, season two goes a step further and features multiple women vying for Sam’s affection. If anything, Sam treats these women with more respect and maturity than they show towards him which is one very enlightening commentary on how being autistic can actually make one more compassionate, not less. 

Season two further explores the one thing I liked most about Atypical in season one, its portrayal of family dynamics. I believe that the viewers who loved season one focused on that part of the show and either forgave the autistic representation issues or did not notice them. I think that’s why a lot of parents were excited about the show while autistic people, even those with a roseate view of the series, could readily point out specific issues that they felt should be fixed in the second season. 

I appreciate that season one resonated with many families who watched and were ecstatic to finally see a family like theirs being represented on television. Thankfully, season two improves even more on that front, as the way that Sam interacts with other characters indicates a positive shift towards his being treated more as a real person and less as simply a diagnosis.   Moreover, the way he is talked about is also more positive. 

Alex with actor Brigette Lundy-Paine (Casey)

Many reviews of Atypical have focused on the plot lines centered on autism. To me, these elements of the show seem like PSAs, and while I appreciate that Robia and her writers felt the need to include these important topics in an effort to teach the audience about things we face in the autism community,  I think the scenes that are designed to deliver exposition information about autism actually end telling us the least about autism. For instance, while I appreciate the intentions behind bringing up the issues of police being untrained when it comes to dealing with autistic people, that storyline seemed a bit forced. In contrast, I felt much more was conveyed about autism with much more depth in the storyline of Casey’s birthday involving a tradition of rituals that Sam adheres to as his way of expressing his love for her. This year, Casey brushes Sam off and expresses frustration due to a belief that Sam is obsessing over these birthday rituals from a place of selfishness when she clearly is trying to deal with other issues. However, the resolution of this conflict, and Casey’s realization regarding Sam’s true intentions, stands out as the most beautiful moment of season two. 

Alex with Atypical Creator Robia Rashid

In conclusion, the second season of Atypical far exceeded my expectations, and, if it continues going in such a positive direction, by the third season I think it could more than make up for the problematic representations from season one. Robia’s receptiveness to suggestions makes me excited to see how she further includes autistics in season three. 

In that vein I’ll end this piece with my biggest suggestions for season three. First, I think an openly autistic writer should be added to the writer’s room. David Finch, the show’s consultant, who I believe was instrumental in fomenting the major improvements of this season and penned a hilarious  New York Times best-selling memoir, would be a perfect candidate.  I personally served as a consultant on FX’s The Bridge, so I know how difficult a job it is to ensure that autism is fairly and accurately represented while concurrently serving the overall story and tone of a show. David did a remarkable job and I think those on the spectrum who’ve been critical of season two fail to acknowledge how difficult a job it was to improve the representation of a character who had already been developed for an entire season. Atypical accomplishes this with a character arc that fixed the issues gradually while not changing him drastically enough to betray the underlying character viewers had come to expect. 

Finally, I want to see even more autistic characters in season three and I want to see another autistic character with a bigger role. Autism is often thought of only in reference to kids or teens. If Atypical wrote in an adult autistic character, perhaps one Sam could see as a role model, I think that would be a powerful addition to a show that I’m actually really starting to dig. And if you’re looking for an autistic actor to play him, contact my agent. I think I have some availability.

The post Atypical’s 2nd Season is a Step Forward in Autism Representation appeared first on Wrong Planet.

We discuss the inspirational parts of their book as well as the troubling periods of autism history and the shocking discoveries they made about Hans Asperger. We also talk about LSD experiments involving autistics.  Their book is extensive and covers the politics and history of autism in over 500 pages. It even includes a chapter about me, your favorite autism webmaster and tv personality, Alex Plank.

Additionally, they cover the first person diagnosed with autism, Donald Triplett, in great detail.
This book is incredibly fascinating to read and I highly recommend that you buy a copy if you haven’t read it already.

Donvan and Zucker are currently enjoying touring the country to promote their book and educate individuals about their discoveries. I recently had the good fortune to run into them at the ASA conference in New Orleans where they delivered a keynote together.

The post In a Different Key – Interview with John Donvan and Caren Zucker appeared first on Wrong Planet.

Alex Plank is interviewed on The Business by Kim Masters, editor at large of the Hollywood Reporter about consulting on FX Networks’ The Bridge, a show with an autistic character played by Diane Kruger. He’s also interviewed about Shameful, his documentary about autistic children being mistreated in France.

And he even talks about how he watched TV as a child and used characters on TV as a model to learn social skills and how there are actors on the autism spectrum.

Max Burkholder, is also interviewed about playing an autistic character on NBC’s Parenthood, a show which is in its 4th season.

Alex’s interview starts 8 minutes into the show.

Original page on The Business

The post Alex Plank – Creating Authentic Autistic Characters on Television appeared first on Wrong Planet.

Alex got the exclusive at the Autism Walk in Los Angeles, CA. He interviews the cast of NBC’s hit show Parenthood, starring Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, and Monica Potter. Parenthood’s creator, Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), has a son with Asperger’s / Autism.

Max Braverman is an autistic character in the show. Parenthood covers issues surrounding the parenting of someone on the autism spectrum. This includes things such as obsessions, meltdowns, and issues with social skills. Alex talks with the cast (Monica Potter, Max Burkholder, Sarah Ramos, Miles Heizer, and Jason Ritter) about Autism, acting, and NBC’s hit show Parenthood!

Watch the Parenthood Interview!

The post Interview with the Cast of Parenthood from NBC – Autism Talk TV 18 appeared first on Wrong Planet.

Thanks for tuning in to the latest episode of Autism Talk in which we interview Elaine Hall, the founder of The Miracle Project in Los Angeles. Elaine worked in the film industry until she adopted an autistic son and decided to start the Miracle Project, a successful program in which autistic children sing and act and dance in order to promote learning and social interaction.

The Miracle Project is hosting a cruise for autistic children in June of 2011 which features music drama and dance. Stephen Shore will be on the boat teaching music to children.
Elaine and The Miracle Project were featured in the HBO documentary “Autism The Musical” and wrote a book about raising her autistic son entitled “now i see the moon.” Elaine generously granted us an interview in which she talks about her experience raising her deeply autistic son. In addition, Elaine explains The Miracle Project and her views about working with autistic children.

The post Autism Talk TV – Ep. 12 – Elaine Hall from Autism the Musical appeared first on Wrong Planet.