Portrayal of IDD In TV Shows

By Nelson Tang

In a separate article, it talked about the portrayal of characters who have autism or other developmental disabilities in cinema throughout the years. It concluded that it has moved towards a more positive direction and light over time. There has been greater representation for the disabled in Hollywood with more accurate portrayals and less of the negative stereotypes surrounding disability. Therefore, it has fostered a greater understanding amongst the global community and created more awareness on the subject matter. It has also given a voice and the spotlight to disable actors to show their talents and to tell an authentic story and experience. Furthermore, it allows audiences with disabilities to personally relate to the story that is being told.

One might argue that television is better than film when it comes to storytelling, as they are not bound to the same time constraints. A movie tells a story that typically lasts about 2 hours, whereas a show can easily be stretched to multiple seasons. In other words, a TV show can be more effective in building the story, the world, and its characters in some cases. It is over time where audiences can see a character grow and progress allowing for personal investment into specific characters. It can be done with films as well, but shows have a greater potential and opportunity to do so. In this article, it will discuss the portrayal of TV characters who have autism or developmental disabilities over the years. It will be evaluating  specific characters from several different shows in regards to their portrayal and whether or not it is a positive or harmful representation. Lastly, it will determine whether or not the portrayals in television have moved in a more positive direction just like with film.

Parenthood is a drama show that ran from 2010 to 2015, created by Jason Katims, is an adaptation of a film that bears the same name from 1989. The show was fairly successful and had an overall positive reception from viewers. It tells the story of the Braverman family across three different generations and how life is for them. Some of the main takeaways from the show was to show the importance of family as well as the problems that may arise when it comes to family. When it comes to family relationships, there are bound to be highs and lows over time, as no family is perfect. It dealt with how to manage and navigate through life’s struggles, hardships, and the challenges of being a parent. On top of these things, the show explored everyday life and issues such as teen pregnancy, alcoholism, cancer, and PTSD. The show was effective in telling the story and perspective of each of its characters allowing for people to resonate and emphasize with characters they leaned towards the most. Most of the characters felt very real and not one dimensional [8].

In Parenthood, one of the family members in the third generation has Asperger’s. Adam and Kristina Bravermen learn that their son Max has Asperger’s. Viewers get to see the progression of Max as a character with this condition and how he and those around him deal with it. Initially during the earlier seasons, Max is too young and does not quite fully understand the situation, but he progresses as he gets older and the story continues. Viewers also get to see how the parents and other family members react and cope with the news and understand it. The actor who played Max also went and did research in helping with his portrayal of the role. It was useful as the portrayal of Max was very accurate and it was a good representation of what everyday life is like for those living with autism [7]. Prior to this, television had never really told a story quite like this involving a character with autism. Parenthood was able to shed a new light on the subject showing the complexity when it comes to the spectrum. Rather than simply telling the story or talking about autism, it showed it on screen to create a better picture and understanding. The last two seasons really focused more on Max as he got older as a teenager and how he dealt with things such as stress or falling for a girl [6]. It gave insight to those who do not live with autism or disability into what daily life is like for those who are living with it.

The Big Bang Theory is a sitcom that ran from 2007 to 2019, created by Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady, and is most memorable for its many references to popular culture while also talking about science and the stories of a diverse group of characters in a friend groups from social awkward scientist to outgoing individuals as they learn from each other’s worlds and lives.  Some have even dubbed it the nerdy version of Friends, which is another popular sitcom that involves the story of a group of friends.  The Big Bang Theory was a successful show as it ran for 12 seasons and had a successful spinoff show called Young Sheldon, which is a prequel telling the story of one of the show’s character’s Sheldon Cooper. [10].

Sheldon Lee Cooper will always be remembered as one of the smartest characters in television history. Viewers get to see his genius intellect as well as his shortcomings in certain aspects of life. It is also made clear that this has made Sheldon appear arrogant and feel that he is superior to his peers and others in some ways. Throughout the show, the audience gets to see Sheldon’s strengths and weaknesses and how he learns to overcome them and grow as an individual. There is no doubt that Sheldon is highly intelligent when it comes to academics, trivia, and nerd culture, but he struggles when it comes to emotional intelligence and social cues and situations. That is where Penny comes in, where she is the character that impacts Sheldon the most in this regard as he grows to be empathic, understand, and to navigate through social situations. 

It is not actually confirmed whether or not Sheldon has autism or any kind of developmental disability. There have been references to him getting checked by a doctor when he was younger by his mother and that she should have taken him to a specialist. However, it is clear that many analyses of his character made by viewers and professionals alike have concluded that Sheldon has high functioning autism and is somewhere on the spectrum. Furthermore, there is a lot of evidence that supports this claim throughout the show how Sheldon is presented and behaves. Sheldon has difficulties when it comes to social interaction, has a rigid structure and adherence to specific routines and is very disrupted when anything affects it. Sheldon is also shown to have specific interests and an interest focused on specific subjects such as physics and string theory. Lastly, he often takes things that are said and done too literally and missing the subtle or figurative meanings [2]. Sheldon also has the habit of repetitive behavior as seen with his ritualistic knocking on doors, as he does it three times when it comes to knocking, or having a specific spot when sitting on the couch. He also has displayed symptoms of OCD as he wants things to be done or organized in a specific manner, or that fact he is fixated on hygiene. Rather than attempting to build meaningful relationships with his peers and people around him, he draws up contracts such as “Friendship or Roommate Agreements” that have certain rules and parameters pertaining to them [9]. Although the showrunner has denied that Sheldon has autism or any developmental disability, there is still quite a lot of evidence throughout the show that suggests that he does appear to be on the spectrum. 

Despite the heavy debate over the years, it can be mostly agreed that Sheldon is on the spectrum. The question is whether or not the portrayal of Sheldon is positive or negative to the autistic community. Unfortunately, it leans more towards a negative depiction and into the negative stereotypes of autism. Despite being a beloved character, there are issues with Sheldon throughout the seasons. Sheldon can come off as annoying, ignorant, arrogant, inconsiderate, or generally off putting, which does not represent the community. His behavior and actions seems to be more done for comedic effects and purposes, which is damaging to the representation. Furthermore, Sheldon is shown to regress at times and revert back to his old self even though he has shown to grow as a person through what he learns from other characters. It seems inconsistent and as if Sheldon did not grow as a person at times. Ultimately, Sheldon does grow and learn as a person through the different bonds of friendship, love, understanding, and empathy. However, it does not help regarding the negative aspects and impacts that the character has had. Mayim Bialik who is a neuroscientist and plays one of the main characters on the show has helped in some aspects such as neurodiversity and when it comes to behavior and mental health representations to create authentic portrayals [2]. It is the responsibility of the writers of a show to balance reality and fiction when it comes to portraying real world things.

Atypical is a show that ran from 2017 to 2021 and was created by Robia Rashid. It ran for four seasons and had a mostly positive reception from audiences. It tells the story of a highschooler named Sam who is on the autism spectrum. The show navigates and shows Sam’s daily life and everydays struggles compared to neurotypicals, which is a term for “normal” people that he and his mom decided to use. Sam is sensitive to the point where he has to wear noise cancellation headphones when around crowds or during class activities and prevents him from going to parties and social gatherings. A new challenge arises when Sam feels that he is ready to date where he has to learn to be more independent. The show also shows the people around Sam such as his family, therapist, and friends and how they interact with him. Some main takeaways of this show include friendship, bonds, understanding of differences, empathy, and to support each other in their dreams and goals [1].

The reception from audiences is mixed when it comes to Atypical. There are those that argue that the show falls short in terms of representation of autism and entertainment. On the other hand, there are those who claim that the show has done a good job and is one of the more accurate portrayals of autism and helped in humanizing those living with it. Some have claimed that Sam was wasted potential and seemed more like a collection of stereotypes rather than being a real character and that the negative aspects of the characters are left unchecked or unaddressed. Such examples included how Sam would at times ignore his therapists and the rules stated [4]. On the other side of the debate, Atypical provides insight into what everyday life is like for those living with autism. It is a genuine representation of a young adult who is living with autism and offers a good depiction into Sam’s mind. Through Sam, viewers get to see through his perspective and how he sees and interprets the world around him. Viewers get to see how he thinks and also helpful for those with autism in overcoming their own problems. Sam sets an example for these audiences by asking questions, finding people and friends who are supportive and understanding and taking more responsibility in becoming more independent [12].

The Good Doctor is a show that ran from 2017 to 2024, created by David Shore, running for seven seasons. It is a remake of a K-drama with the same name from 2013. The show follows the story of Shaun Murphy who has autism with savant syndrome and excels as a surgeon. Shaun relocates from the quiet countryside to a prestigious hospital to work in a surgical unit as it was strongly encouraged and supported by his mentor. He grew up with a troubling childhood, which has had lasting impacts on him. He has difficulties with communication and in creating personal connections to those around him, whether it be personal or professional relationships. The show also deals with subjects such as ethical dilemmas, empathy, understanding, acceptance, and diversity [11].

It is clear that Shaun Murphy is autistic based on the way he is presented and behaves. Murphy has social difficulties, sensory sensitivities, rigid manner and thinking, and special interests [5].The main question is how well does The Good Doctor fair in its portrayal and representation of the autism community and whether or not it is positive or negative. Although the reception is mixed, it is mostly on the positive side as it strikes the balance between reality and fiction, as it sheds a light on the abilities and uniqueness of those living on the spectrum using Murphy as an example. The show also challenges stereotypes surrounding autism and in return fosters inclusive perception of autism as well as the acceptance of the diversity of the spectrum [3].

Compared to films, the portrayal of autistic characters appears to be more recent when it comes to television. It has certainly gone through trial and error, but seems to be headed in a more positive direction. Sheldon Cooper seemed to miss the mark in terms of portrayal and representation leaning more on the negative side of things. However, shows like Parenthood did a better job at presenting autism and showing what it is like. This proves that it is all headed in the right direction and needs to continue that path. The next step would be to include and have actors with autism and disability to play characters with those conditions in order to tell a more authentic story and experience. It will help in giving a voice and creating more awareness and fostering a better understanding. Therefore, TV should follow the route that film did in terms of representation. It is a moral responsibility for creators to show something that is accurate and as close as possible to the reality of things.

References:

[1]. Atypical (2017-2021) 

[2]. “Demystifying Young Sheldon: Is He on the Autism Spectrum?” Apex ABA Therapy, www.apexaba.com/blog/is-young-sheldon-autistic 

[3]. “Does the Good Doctor Have Autism?” Goldstar Rehabilitation – Early Intervention Services in Philadelphia, PA, www.goldstarrehab.com/parent-resources/does-the-good-doctor-have-autism

[4]. Kurchak, Sarah. “Why Netflix’s Atypical Fell Short as Autistic Representation.” Time, 16 July 2021, time.com/6080754/atypical-autism-representation/

[5]. Lazarus, Arthur. “Opinion: ‘the Good Doctors’ -- Autism Spectrum Disorder and Medicine.” Medical News, MedpageToday, 2 Mar. 2024, www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/kevinmd/108985

[6]. Orley, Emily. “How ‘Parenthood’ Broke down the Autism Awareness Barrier.” BuzzFeed, 25 Sept. 2014, www.buzzfeed.com/emilyorley/how-parenthood-broke-down-the-autism-awareness-barrier

[7]. “Parenthood: An Authentic Look into Asperger’s?” Disability in Media Review Blog, u.osu.edu/kovacevich.9/parenthood-an-authentic-look-into-aspergers/

[8]. Parenthood (2010 -2015)

[9]. Rethinking Asperger’s: Understanding the DSM-5 ..., www.longdom.org/open-access-pdfs/rethinking-asperger-s-understanding-the-dsm5-diagnosis-byintroducing-sheldon-cooper-2375-4427-1000146.pdf 

[10]. The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

[11]. The Good Doctor (2017-2024)

[12]. Zlody, Jacob. “‘humanizing Autism.’” ADDitude, 28 Mar. 2023, www.additudemag.com/humanizing-autism-netflix-atypical-tv-review/