Diagnosis: Autism
Jake and his father, Martin, are the main characters of “Touch, a drama which revolves around Martin’s determination to learn to commutate and connect with his nonverbal son.
Portrayed by David Mazouz
Recurring Character
Recurring Character
Jake and his father, Martin, are the main characters of “Touch, a drama which revolves around Martin’s determination to learn to commutate and connect with his nonverbal son.
(Season 1 Promo: It explains Jake's "gift" and the basic premise of the show. It was hard to find good clips showing Jake's behavior)
Jake shows no emotion or empathy and reacts when people touch him; cell phones and numbers fascinate him, and he is often seen writing patterns of numbers in a notebook. Early in season 1, we learn that Martin is in danger of loosing custody of his son to social services because of financial troubles he is facing. The show does a great job showing the hardships he experiences as a single parent with a special needs child and his undying determination to have a relationship with his boy. I have worked with many children with a variety of disabilities and I see how parents struggle to form a meaningful bond with children on the Autism Spectrum. They also do a good job showing how others react to Jake and his behavior. However, Jake's character almost has superpowers in the way he “predicts” interconnected events, which is unrealistic. While many children with autism do have special talents (sometimes referred to as "splinter skills"), the writers take this to the extreme for entertainment purposes. These might provide a glimpse of hope for parents with children with ASD, but it only spreads confusion on what one possible diagnosis might look like to the general public.
Although most believe Jake has Autism, including the social worker on his case, Martin rejects this saying the diagnosis doesn't "fit". He is seen looking up "mutism" and through his research, he finds a man who believes Jake was diagnosed incorrectly and instead has an evolutionary gift involving a "shift in consciousness". While it is unclear of what they call him, most people believe this child has Autism, and he exhibits many stereotypical behaviors, as well as many on the diagnostic criteria.
Spreading the word about Autism is great and will help create a more widespread understanding, but it is important to realize that these are all shows that are first and foremost created to entertain. If you take nothing else from this blog, realize that you should take popular media with a grain of salt. Do your own research because as I've said before, there are a variety of ways people might act when they have Autism (or any disability).
Although most believe Jake has Autism, including the social worker on his case, Martin rejects this saying the diagnosis doesn't "fit". He is seen looking up "mutism" and through his research, he finds a man who believes Jake was diagnosed incorrectly and instead has an evolutionary gift involving a "shift in consciousness". While it is unclear of what they call him, most people believe this child has Autism, and he exhibits many stereotypical behaviors, as well as many on the diagnostic criteria.
Spreading the word about Autism is great and will help create a more widespread understanding, but it is important to realize that these are all shows that are first and foremost created to entertain. If you take nothing else from this blog, realize that you should take popular media with a grain of salt. Do your own research because as I've said before, there are a variety of ways people might act when they have Autism (or any disability).
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