Asperger's explanation tonight on Parenthood

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So as you may see from the teaser on nbc.com (nbc.com),
tonight is the big episode where it all comes to a head and the character with AS finally finds out (well, he found out at the cliffhanger ending last episode- all he did was say, "I have Asperger's?? What's Asperger's?") I don't watch TV (actually I don't even have one hooked up) so I have started checking up online on the Max storyline after a news feed mentioned it. This is the show's third season (though I wasn't watching it originally) and only NOW are the parents going to tell him. Anyone watching this episode? It will surely be a big deal--- if the pilot episode reportedly caused Aspergers to be the most Googled word after it aired.

Seems to be a big Facebook discussion going about that topic, from viewers who either know AS or are clueless. Let's see what the show does with its responsibility to educate the public...

I guess I'm skeptical that any mainstream entertainment would have anything close to an accurate depiction of Asperger's.

Yeah it's played by an NT kid, but the show seems to be considered the closest anything in such medium has gotten so far. I recall that someone key to production has a child on the spectrum. The script has a lot of recognizable AS things in it, even if I think the cute actor's voice is too ... uh... NT-enthusiastic-sounding.

I think they do a pretty good job of articulating what a child with asperger's syndrome would be like when he's within a family that's aware of the condition. The kid isn't hidden away in his room, constantly berated for reacting adversely to over-stimulus, or accused of orchestrating situations to manipulate teachers and drive them insane all while somehow not living up to his potential. So, this character has a different environment and a different ability to grow than most of us aspies experienced as children... and that's interesting to watch. What I love is the moments when they reveal that he is capable of more social interaction when it's in the right social setting and he's been motivated to focus.

The only thing I don't like is the "omg how do we tell him" thing that NT parents get. That exists in real life, though. I had no problem telling my aspie child about Asperger's Syndrome. It actually answered a lot of questions for him and made sense. People approach it like it's such a horrible thing to have. It's not ideal, no... I'll admit that as someone with AS... but it's certainly not the end of the world.

They had an episode not too long ago where they hired someone to do a demonstration at their aspie son's birthday party. The demonstrator was an adult with Aspergers. They didn't even realize it until they were told. The episode showed the NT parents having to accommodate the Aspie adult in their home, with the changes that have to be made to make sure the demonstration would be the way it needed to be and so on. It revealed the NT's complete lack of understanding of proficiency and short-comings when accommodating someone else. It also revealed, through the aspie child's tutor, that the NT parents have no clue how to communicate with aspies.

I like the show and watch it every Tuesday night. I recommend it, especially for NT parents of aspie kids. The NT parents shouldn't watch the aspie kid character, they should watch how the NT parents are missing the mark in dealing with their aspie child, something that the writers find moments to reveal throughout the episodes. It would be an eye-opener, I think.

Besides that, the show is generally well-written with other interesting characters and social dynamics.

I suppose if it is portrayed in a way that opens up dialog, it could be a good thing. I fear that any depictions will become defacto standards, such as Rainman being the popular conceptualization of autism. Asperger's is a widely varying phenomenon and anything that perpetuates narrow stereotypes is detrimental to anyone not fitting those stereotypes. Maybe this show won't do that.

I watch the show sometimes. I agree with you and the poster above, but on Parenthood, I think they actually portray AS pretty well, with Max. The adult that the above poster was talking about, seemed a little more severe than Max IMO, but I like that they show there is a spectrum.

I assume Ahbed from Community is also supposed to have it, and he is a little over the top IMO, but whole show is, really.

In any case, I think all of these characters are more accurate portrayals than the character from Boston Legal was. I know that some could be that severe, but he was used for comic relief on the show and was pretty outrageous.

Hell, one thing thing that non-factual mainstream media never is is accurate.

Honestly, both of you need to watch the show before judging. Don't you prefer to deal in facts than speculation?

I have watched and do enjoy the show, but in the episode where they showed the adult with AS, I didn't particularly like how they portrayed him. If you ever watched the movie "Rainman" he acted a lot like that, just a little more independent. I hope that they will also show other adult Aspies, some who are in relationships or married, some who are successful in careers and some who have children of their own. We do exist.
It will be interesting to see the show tonight and how the public response is to it.

well I set the DVR recording so I'll have it

I do like that the kid is an aspie but I feel he overacts the part a little bit.

That's probably not so much his fault, I find that AS is over-dramatized on TV to put it in people's faces; it's often too subtle to notice, so.

What time would the show be on in Western Canada?

it's on at 10pm EST on CBC Toronto, hth

He could have had a marriage and kids. We didn't see that part of his life because it wasn't relevant. It might be relevant later if the writers decide to turn the plot to show a grown aspie man with a functioning full life. We saw only how he manages to set up and demonstrate a show for children. He had very specific needs, articulated those needs, and didn't feel that a show could be successful if it didn't meet his standards. He also provided fun extras for the children (stuffed toys) and had interactive parts of his demonstration to grab the kids' attention. Not exactly disconnected from the world there. If his Social Anxiety was high, that would explain his need to get through the contract and set up with the parents as efficiently as possible. They thought he was rude. He was merely getting it over with. Yes, the show exaggerated it because it's television, which is an entertainment medium that has to visually reach its audience so the subtle is left to sub-plot and actor performances are played up. We get to see that he's an aspie before the NT Parent characters do. It was my understanding that the bug guy is very successful in his career and came with great references from Max's school. He didn't strike me as Rainman at all.

I'll be watching it!

Alright, I don't watch this show much (I've seen 3 episodes) but it seems like the dad is a bit of a heartless bastard.

Think i missed it.