This Netflix show will change the way you see Autism

The most current statistics show that the rate of birth with children in the autism spectrum is rapidly increasing. If the world has been consistent with anything, it is to produce shows that reflect the trend, which in turn be the trend. Autism hasn’t been different. There are quite a lot of Television shows and movies out there revolving around characters with autism. And most often, they are exaggerated and over-dramatized. I get it, being a form of entertainment the showrunners have to inject elements that make it watchable. But doing that with a subject so sensitive might actually lead to devastating consequences. People might be terribly misled or misinformed on the subject.

Maybe a few decades before, it was understandable. Not excusable, but understandable. But, now with a considerable population size of people with autism, creators are responsible to give out messages that are true, or at least not stupidly wrong. Because there are still people who look for answers in television shows and movies. It is time to apologize for ‘Rainman’.

Here is a TV show that I would recommend if you wanna watch a realistic portrayal of autism- ‘ATYPICAL’. It is a personal favorite of mine. But I will keep it for myself, for now as this is not a review. Instead, I’d like to elaborate on why I think it is a reality show. One of the primary reasons is that Sam- the protagonist in the show has mild autistic symptoms. The show creator Robia Rashid made sure that the autistic elements of the show are not over-exaggerated. This also seems realistic because most of the autistic people that we encounter in real life show mild symptoms of autism and they are more prevalent as compared to those high in the autism spectrum.

Basically, the series is a coming-of-age story that follows a teenager in the autism spectrum. The series sketches how Sam tackles high school life, romance, and family drama. Another important feature that makes this show a worthy experience is because it also showcases the troubles that the family faces because of an autistic member. When we talk about autism, we seldom talk about the ones who are most involved- which is not the people with autism but their caretakers. There are numerous programs aimed at facilitating the life of people with autism. There are but a few that take into consideration the lives of the ones who constantly take care of them. When a child with autism is born, it disrupts the entire system of a family. They might have to change their habits, leave their jobs, and even abandon their life-long dreams. But none of this has to happen if we, as a society can find a bit more space for them. Think about it, how many of our public facilities and institutions are equipped to accommodate people in the spectrum? I know I am derailing, I just had to get it out.

Again, atypical is like any other quality productions from Netflix- it’s good. There are LOL moments, there are moments that might tear you up, there are moments that would make you think. It’s as good as any other Netflix show- it is entertaining and fun to watch. But what makes it different is that it didn’t choose to strip out realism to reach that goal.

Check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHh4U-QYwU