Autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today. In honor of the fourteenth annual World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), we present you with a list of television shows that have helped autism representation on the small screen by sensitively showcasing the vast diversity of people on the autism spectrum.
This contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster 1989 film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family: four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. When Sarah Braverman, a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, California after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber and Drew, she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek, and strong mother, Camille, who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings — sister Julia and brothers Crosby and Adam — all struggling with issues of their own, it’s clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.
The show follows a group of unrelated characters. One of these is Martin Bohm, a widower and a single father who is haunted by an inability to connect to his mute and severely autistic 10-year-old son, Jake. Martin has tried everything he could do in order to reach his son, but at no success. To spend his time, Jake has cast-off cell phones, disassembling them and manipulating the parts. This allows him to see the world in a different way entirely.
The various generations of the Hughes family, who all love, work and fight like any other clan, find they must learn to communicate all over again when the youngest member is diagnosed with autism.
Sam, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum, decides it’s time to find a girlfriend, a journey that sets Sam’s mom on her own life-changing path as her son seeks more independence.
Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues.
במרכז הסדרה שלושה גיבורים הנמצאים על הרצף האוטיסטי, שחולקים יחד דירה בדיור מוגן בלב שכונת מגורים "רגילה". השלושה הם עמית, אוטיסט בתפקוד גבוה שעדיין מנסה להבין איך נוסעים באוטובוס; זוהר, בחורה עם לקות שכלית שעובדת בארומה ומחפשת אהבה; ורון רון, בחור עם אספרגר, אובססיבי לערוץ הקניות ולניקיון, המסתגר בבית.
This uplifting show follows the first steps of young adults on the autism spectrum as they explore the unpredictable world of dating, love, and relationships.
Nicholas is a neurotic 25-year-old visiting his single dad and two teenage half-sisters, one of whom is on the autism spectrum. He hasn’t been particularly present in his siblings’ lives, but when their dad reveals that he is terminally ill, the girls have to cope with not only a devastating loss but also the realization that Nicholas is the one who will have to rise to the occasion, move in, and hold it all together.
The series tells the story of Jack, Harrison, and Violet, twentysomething roommates on the autism spectrum, as they strive to get and keep jobs, make friends, fall in love and navigate a world that eludes them. With the help of their families, their aide and sometimes even each other, the trio experience setbacks and celebrate triumphs on their own unique journeys towards independence and acceptance.