April is World Autism Month – understand autism a little better by watching Netflix’s Atypical.
There’s no doubt about it: we love binge-watching our favourite series on Netflix, especially during this circuit breaker period. Between catching up on our favourite international TV series (we’re looking at you, Money Heist) or a movie marathon at the moment, we’re also on the lookout for other TV series to watch with our kids that’ll hopefully teach them a thing or two. And since April is World Autism Month, why not cuddle up on the couch with the young ‘uns and check out Netflix’s Atypical, a coming-of-age story about a high schooler on the spectrum.
What’s it about?
Atypical follows Sam Gardner (played by Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old high schooler with autism and his relationships with his family and friends. Season one sees Sam on a journey of self-discovery as he searches for a girl to have a sexual-romantic encounter with (in that order), while learning the nuances of dating and becoming independent.
Why do we love it?
The only difference between Atypical and other family sitcoms is that its main character has autism. Annoying sibling? Check. Overprotective mum? Check. Dad who tries to help but just ends up being somewhat awkward? Check.
Sam’s parents Doug and Elsa (played by Michael Rapaport and Jennifer Jason Leigh) have a seemingly great marriage until someone begins an affair. His sister Casey (played by Brigette Lundy-Paine) faces some challenges with adjusting to a new school and Sam, well, tries to find a girlfriend with the help of his best friend, Zahid (played by Nik Dodani).
As avid TV watchers, we actually find the show a breath of fresh air, because there aren’t many instances of characters living with autism, learning difficulties or disabilities in the media. Sure, there’s theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory(played by Jim Parsons), many who regard as having Aspergers. Or the wickedly smart FBI special agent Spencer Reid (played by Matthew Gray Gubler) in Criminal Minds. But none of these shows portray the difficulties and perspective of raising a child with autism, or having a sibling with autism.
Though, we have to admit: Atypical’s portrayal of a character with autism isn’t perfect – it falls into your typical stereotype of what a person on the spectrum is like. After the release of its first season, the show was also criticised for its lack of representation by casting non-autistic actors. Thankfully, the following seasons included a more diverse cast in the form of Sam’s support group and other neurotypical characters. Representation matters!
Why you should watch it with your kids
Family comedy-dramas not only make good TV, but sometimes they can teach the kids a thing or two – even us parents. Not only does Atypical champion autism awareness, but it also teaches us and our kids to recognise that we’re all different, to be accepting and learn empathy. Plus, as the series progresses, viewers also learn how to be aware of the right terms and phrases to use, like the use of “person-first” language. See, the little things do matter.
And if you have a teen at home, your kid will definitely relate to Sam. After all, he deals with the same problems every high schooler faces: finding a girlfriend, settling into college and managing ongoing relationships with his family. And, by the end of the series, we bet you’ll be able to recite the four species of Antarctic penguins with ease.
Get started on all three seasons of Atypical – it’s currently streaming on Netflix, with the fourth and final season slated for 2021. We can’t wait!
