Aspergers and Autism. Ron Howard's "Parenthood" Tackles Autistic traits in Children and Other Family Issues.

Autism, and more recently, Aspergers Syndrome, are topics which are explored and discussed in news and current affairs style TV shows, or possibly some medical style programs. Ron Howard, famous as 'Richie Cunningham' on the show 'Happy Days', along with Brian Grazer, has produced a new show called 'Parenthood', which airs on Channel 7 at 9.30pm on Tuesday nights here in Sydney and is on NBC in the US.

The first few episodes of this series shows a couple coming to terms with the discovery that their son has Aspergers Syndrome. The producers have managed to show quite an amount of realism in the parents' reactions, and the actor who plays Max Braverman (Max Burkholder) makes it hard to distinguish whether he actually has the condition in real life, he is to be commended for acting the part with sensitivity far beyond his years. Max Burkholder is only 12 years old and he doesn't have Aspergers, Jason Katims' son has the condition and it was he who wanted realism reflected in the series. Jason is the show's creator and writer.

"Parenthood" follows three generations of the Braverman family as they navigate the trials and tribulations of being parents. The show is based loosely on Ron Howard's 1989 film "Parenthood" which starred Steve Martin. Both depict a large family going through life's ups and downs using both comedy and drama.

It is a brave move to bring the condition of Aspergers into this story and putting it out into the mainstream, mainly because, if not handled correctly, the story can go haywire. Aspergers and Autism are complicated conditions with a huge spectrum of symptoms so the producers will have to be careful not to give Max's character too many symptoms and then lose the realistic feel.

Keeping It Real

Further episodes of "Parenthood" will prove whether the formula for the show is right with the first few episodes certainly showing promise. As long as they are not afraid to tackle some tough issues, as they have with the Aspergers' character, then the show will survive and grow.

Other issues they have explored so far are; teenage angst and drug use, extra-marital affairs, divorce and its affects on children as well as having children out of marriage. If there is one downside to the program it's that the story lines tend to be 'rushed', ie, the issues are resolved in one or two episodes.

An example is after Max's parents find out about his condition they investigate what to do about his education when the mainstream school tells them they cannot help him with their limited resources. They find a special school which has a long waiting list, typical of this type of school. Of course, it is perfect for Max and they are desperate to have him attend. This dilemma is resolved over two episodes.

Any parent of a child with Aspergers or Autism will tell you it can take many months if not years to firstly find the right school (which could be far from home), be placed on the waiting list and finally, if you are lucky, receive a placement. Jason Katims may have been lucky in placing his child in such a school, or it was wishful thinking on his part, but in reality it rarely happens quickly.

Despite the 'quick' storylines the show is entertaining and if they extend the length of the more controversial plots then it will improve the viewer's experience.

Interestingly, here in Sydney, "Parenthood" airs after an Australian show which tackles family and parenting issues with sensitive and realistic plot lines. The show, "Packed to the Rafters", is one of the most popular dramas of 2010 on Australian television. The premise of this drama is a couple who are looking forward to being 'empty nesters' end up with 2 adult children moving back in as well as an elderly parent, hence the show's title.

The issues of having a 'packed house' are treated with comedy and drama making for a very watchable show which explores parenting issues with a modern twist. Tuesday nights are a must watch night for anyone interested in family problems and how to solve them ... well in TV-land anyway ... not in real life.

A real life example of how hard it is to find the right school for a child with Aspergers Syndrome has been eloquently (and emotionally) discussed by Shazwellyn -

http://hubpages.com/hub/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Aspergers-Syndrome-How-To-Get-College-Education

Zeek (Craig T Nelson) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) Braverman are the parents of four adult children who all live in Berkeley. One of their children, Sarah (Lauren Graham), moves back home with her two troubled teenage children after a divorce from her rocker deadbeat husband. It is her character we meet first just as she is trying to make the move but finds it difficult when her daughter, Amber (Mae Whitman), advises her she would rather move in with her boyfriend. The ensuing scenes will be familiar to many parents of teens.

We meet the whole cast in the first episode as they interact with each other, mostly at the parents' home as they welcome Sarah and her children back to Berkeley.

The Cast

• Peter Krause - Adam Braverman (Max's Dad)
  
• Lauren Graham - Sarah Braverman (The daughter who moves back home)
  
• Dax Shepard - Crosby Braverman (Youngest sibling)
  
• Erika Christensen - Julia Graham (The successful lawyer)
  
• Sam Jaeger - Joel Graham (The lawyer's stay home husband)
  
• Monica Potter - Kristina Braverman (Max's Mum)
  
• Mae Whitman - Amber Holt (Sarah's daughter)
  
• Sarah Ramos - Haddie Braverman (Max's sister)
  
• Miles Heizer - Drew Holt (Sarah's son)
  
• Max Burkholder - Max Braverman (has Aspergers Syndrome)
  
• Savannah Paige Rae - Sydney Graham (The lawyer's daughter)
  
• Bonnie Bedelia - Camille Braverman (The Mum)
  
• Craig T Nelson - Zeek Braverman (The Dad)
  
• Marguerie Moreau - Katie (Crosby's girlfriend)
• Joy Bryant - Jasmine Trussell (Crosby's previous love and mother of his child)

Autism and Asperger Syndrome are conditions on the Autism Spectrum and symptoms vary greatly depending on the severity. People with Autism have more developmental delays than their higher functioning AS counterparts. The severity of the condition varies greatly from person to person. As with any human being, people with Autism and AS are complete individuals with their own personalities.

Another term for these conditions is Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD) but the groups of disorders are the same, they all deal with the issues of delays in development of such traits as social interaction, non verbal communication, gross motor behaviour and eccentricities. Not all traits are affected in each person, hence proving the individuality of each sufferer and shows why the spectrum is so large.

Aspergers sufferers may show no outward signs of having the condition until they speak, their tone may be 'robotic' and they may show an unusually heightened interest in a certain topic such as trains, certain types of bugs or even an obscure language. Their eccentric behaviour may inhibit their ability to make and keep friends even though they may be desperate to have friends. This may be especially apparent during their teenage years.

The name "Asperger" comes from the physician "Hans Asperger" who named the condition in 1944. The condition has really only become a mainstream topic since the 1990's as more data and information about the syndrome has become available.

Other articles relating to Autism and Aspergers Syndrome -

http://hubpages.com/hub/Are-Aspergers-Syndrome-AS-and-Obsessive-Compulsive-Personality-Disorder-OCPD-the-same

http://hubpages.com/hub/David-and-Mary-an-Autism-Story

http://hubpages.com/hub/Aspergers-and-its-affects

http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Aspies-cant-make-decisions

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