TV Character Without Official Diagnoses

There are several characters who are thought to have an ASD, but their respective shows have never officially diagnosed them. 

1 & 2. "Dr. Temperance Brennan"  and "Dr. Zack Addy" on Bones
Portrayed by Emily Deschanel and Eric Millegan
Suspected Diagnosis: Asperger's
In an interview with Emily Deschanel she said, "Hart Hanson, the creator of the show, and I discuss, you know, that my character almost has Asperger syndrome, and, you know, if a maybe if it was a film, that I maybe specifically would have Asperger's," she said."If you look at the character of Zack, [Brennan's graduate assistant] played by Eric Millegan, he almost definitely has Asperger syndrome..." It has also been reported that Hanson and the other Bones team wanted Brennan to have Asperger's but FOX rejected the idea, saying the show would reach a larger audience without a diagnosis. Regardless, there is no official diagnosis for either character. I am a huge fan of this show, and I would not necessarily just to an Autism diagnosis for Deschanel's character. Temperance Brennan is socially awkward and has limited interpersonal skills, but that could be attributed to her life in foster care and finding comfort in science instead of the family she lost. I would agree that Zack's character is more likely to have Asperger's. 

3. “Dr. Spencer Reid” on Criminal Minds

Portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler
Suspected Diagnosis: Asperger's and mild obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 

Spencer's character is socially awkward, misses social cues, has several splinter skills involving science and math, and is extremely intelligent. In season 8, episode 3, a family is kidnapped, including their son who has Asperger's. Because of this exposure, Reid's new coworker slyly suggests that he may have Asperger's too, which Reid ignores. 

4. "Dr. Sheldon Cooper" on The Big Bang Theory
Portrayed by Jim Parsons 
Suspected Diagnosis: Asperger's and OCD
Series co-creator, Bill Prady said in an interview, "We write the character as the character. A lot of people see various things in him and make the connections. Our feeling is that Sheldon's mother never got a diagnosis, so we don't have one". It is clear that they chose to not label his behavior, even though he does have some symptoms that could be seen as Aspergerian. 

I find it very interesting that all these characters are highly intelligent and have doctorates (or multiple degrees) in science related fields. Multiple show creators and producers have stated they have avoided the official diagnosis because it comes with too much responsibility in accuracy portraying the characters and the mystery adds to the show's appeal. Since we have talked about the spectrum part of the disorder, it is possible for the audience to see these known imparments and believe they have a milder form, which is completely acceptable. It is also possible that chacters are just different and the audience wants to label them. Everyone has quirks and challenges, and not everyone who has social impairments has Asperger's.  

Wally Stevens (Law and Order: Criminal Intent)

Diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome

Portrayed by Mark Linn-Bake

Season 2, "Probability"; Season 6, "Endgame"

Wally Stevens is an insurance company employee who is sent to help the NY detectives with a case involving fourteen murdered homeless people in an insurance fraud scheme. The detectives quickly notice his repetitive movements, including rhythmically tapping his fingers on the desk to remain focused and calm. Mr. Stevens doesn’t share personal information except that he plays the piano very well.

 After their first interaction, one detectives calls him "geeky". He admits early in the episode that he has trouble making eye contact and says “If I look at people for more than 2/3 of the time I seem aggressive. If I look at someone for less than 1/3 of the time he seems dishonest.” He says he is working on more appropriate nonverbal practices. When the detectives start to notice several small patterns within the case, they realize that Stevens must have something to do with the deaths. One detective makes the connection and informs his colleagues of his suspicion that Wally has Asperger's;  “symptoms include the need to create and duplicate patters, impairment of nonverbal behavior such as eye to eye gaze, flexible adherence to routines, often coupled with high intelligence and the tendency to become preoccupied with a particular subject…. It’s a high functioning form of Autism. It’s why Wally Stevens can’t empathize, it’s why he can’t connect…” They trick Mr. Stevens into freely marking two locations on a map, which happen to coincide with the patterns emerging from the previous murders. During the confrontation, the detectives tell Mr. Stevens that he is making these patters, has lost his wife and has social trouble because he has Asperger's. He was previously undiagnosed, but there is a sense of relief because he now knows why his wife and children left him, why he needs certain routines and why acts the way he does. It becomes a scapegoat for him, something that he can blame his actions on.

Beside the serial killer aspect of Wally's character, the representation follows the stereotypical, focusing on repetitive patterns, difficulty with eye contact, and high intelligence.  I thought it was a mediocre, generic representation. For someone who has no other exposure to ASD, making this character a serial killer is a slippery slope for misrepresentations. While I'm sure the show portrays many different types of murderers, labeling someone with a social disorder a killer can only perpetrate negative stereotypes.

Like I've mentioned before, I would really stress the importance of writing characters who are more varied in their actions and behaviors. Since most of the shows are just focusing on the disorder for one to three episodes, it is hard to include a great deal of information, different types of characters with Autism or provide glimpses of one's personality over a longer period of time. Instead they cram many behaviors into a very short timeframe and for them, it's easier to choose the commonly known behaviors. I applaud all the shows for trying, but I do wish they really looked at how these portrayals affected their audience.

** I could not find any videos for your connivence, but the episodes are available through iTunes and Amazon. 

Adam (House)

Diagnosis: Autism

Portrayed By Braeden Lamasters
Season 3: "Lines in the Sand"

Episode focuses on a young nonverbal autistic boy who starts screaming in reaction to pain. His parents take him to the hospital, but because he is unable to communicate doctors are stumped at the cause of the pain. He is transferred to House's team. 

The episode doesn’t divulge much information about the boy's behavior because it focuses on the medical condition, but we do learn that he needs to follow a strict routine and that his father has recently been diagnosed with depression. They also say: “nobody chooses this”. I was horrified by the writers' decision to make Adam's father depressed. While having a child diagnosed with Autism is horribly stressful for parents and some of these parents may have depression, it seemed like a very extreme portrayal to choose. What does this say to the public?  That having a child with Autism is so devastating that the parent could develop a serious mental health disorder? Great. Just imagine a parent seeing this soon after their child is diagnosed with an ASD. Horrifying. Scarring. 

At the end of the episode, one of the main doctors suggests that House, the main character, might have Asperger’s Syndrome, where he defines it as “a mild and rare for of autism. It is typically characterized by a difficulty in forming friendships, playing with peers, trouble accepting conventional social rules and the dislike of any change in setting, or routine”. The GOOD: Besides "Parenthood", this is the only show that concretly mentions the spectrum aspect of ASD, showing both the extreme case of the nonverbal young boy, and the high functioning doctor. Even though he is not officially not diagnosed, simply suggesting he could have Asperger's shows the audience that there are different symptoms and severities of the disorder. The BAD: Center for Disease Control and Prevention's 2006 (the show aired in 2006) report on Autism notes that 1 of 110 children are diagnosed with ASD. While those with Asperger's only accounts for a portion of that number, I would would not say it was "rare". I think it diminishes people's ideas regarding the importance of learning about this minority group. 

*There are no YouTube videos of this boy, but I suggest you look for the entire episode elsewhere (Amazon, iTunes, etc). Here is a link to fan site that has this episode's promo video:

http://www.thehousefan.com/view/697/house-md-3x04-lines-in-the-sand-promo/

Jake (Touch)

Diagnosis: Autism

Portrayed by David Mazouz
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). 

Max Braverman (Parenthood)

Diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome

Portrayed by Max Burkholder

Recurring Character

Interview with Max Burkholder and Monica Potter (who plays his mother)

Max is a recurring, main character in “Parenthood”, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome early in the first season. Because the show is now in its fourth season, the audience is privy to a great deal of knowledge about his life and we gain new information about Max and his diagnosis during almost every episode.

Max exhibits social impairments, in his nonverbal communication skills, ability to make friends, and a lack of empathy (including in the current season when the family is faced with other devastating news). Max is fascinated by insects and reptiles, and is often motivated by the opportunity to get a new book on a critter. He doesn’t understand sarcasm or metaphors, and is seen being bullied by his neuro-typical classmates.

(This is a short clip showing some of Max's interests and his honesty)

There is a great deal of screen time devoted to this storyline which allows for deeper investigation into his Aspergian characteristics.  One of the best parts is this show's portrayal of the family dynamic and how it changes once they learn of the son's diagnosis. It shows these parents who are trying to navigate this unfamiliar territory. Early in the second season Max's dad says, "I love my son to pieces, but it's a little like living on an island with theses weird rules that don't apply to other people. Thinking all the time, is this going to set him off, what's that noise, should I drive home a different way to avoid the barking dog... always living with that pressure, always. So much, that it feels like you can't breathe sometimes" (Adam Braverman, Father, 2x05). This, along with many other episodes where Max's mother and father are struggling with their child's diagnosis, allow viewers a unique insight into the struggles a family might face and how the unknown is very scary for the entire family.  Writers also do a fair job showing Max's strengths. It's important for parents and teachers to tailor activities to the student's strengths ranter than always trying to "fix" their impairments.

One of my favorite episodes, "Amazing Andy and His Wonderful World of Bugs" (2x16), shows an adult with Asperger's. Adam and Kristina hire Andy, a bug expert, to put on a show at Max's birthday party. It later comes out that Andy has Asperger's himself, and I was initially surprised that the couple did not recognize his symptoms earlier. It is clear that Adam and Kristina were caught off guard by his age and independence. It was relieving for the entire family to see a successful and fully functional adult and that instilled them with a great sense of hope for Max's future. 

Of all the shows and movies I have watched, "Parenthood" offers the most realistic portrayal of a young boy with Asperger's. Because they have the advantage of multiple seasons to coninually add new information, they have contributed to public awareness of Autism and Asperger's. Most importantly, they know that Autism is not a cookie-cutter or one size fits all deal. They explore some aspects of the disorder without following all stereotypes. During my research I learned that the show's producer, Jason Katims, has a teenage son with Asperger's. In an interview he said "My hope would be that it normalizes it, so there's no stigma to it, no mystery to it". His personal experience has transformed into his mission to help eliminate the misunderstanding of Autism. As with many other minority groups, correct and positive portrayals to the masses can help spread awareness. There is no question that people have learned about Autism from "Parenthood".

Dr. Dixon (Grey's Anatomy)

Diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome
Portrayed by Mary McDonnell

Season 5 ("These Ties That Bind", "All by Myself", "Beat Your Heart Out")

(McDonnell discusses playing a character with Asperger's)

Throughout her three-episode story arch, Dr. Dixon, a cardiac surgeon new to Seattle Grace Hospital, displays a obvious aversion to physical contact, strict adherence to rules and has panic attacks when situations lie outside of her control or deviate from a plan. Her coworkers describe this behavior as "a little off".

After having a horrible first day at the new hospital,  Dixon confronts Dr. Bailey, a fellow surgeon, saying, “I only have one real area of interest: the human heart and I love it. I like its regularity. I know everything there is to know about it. I like its predictability. It has rules. Every chamber has a function. Every function has a movement. I like the color, it’s comforting”. She reveals her diagnosis, which Bailey describes as “significant impairment during social situations”.  Dixon continues, “I’m not good as cues like sarcasm or condescension, but I do know when I’m being manipulated and I know when being made fun of. I don’t think I like this hospital very much. I don’t think I like this hospital at all."

 I think her portrayal reinforces many of the common stereotypes that I would like to see diffused. If you were looking for a cliché representation of Asperger's, then McDonnell does a fantastic job and the authors wrote a great script. [Remember, these are my personal feelings.] Autism and Asperger's are not black and white, and all individuals with the diagnosis have a different experience and varying symptoms. It's a spectrum disorder, after all. Why do we need to change these conventional ideas? The depictions should attempt to show a wider range of ability and impairments. Dixon's character encompasses the majority of the diagnostic criteria to the extremes, when a true diagnosis is often more subtle. Just think about how this could affect a parent who's child is newly diagnosed. I see parents who are scared and in denial because their child's symptoms are not as "severe". 

See for yourself! Someone has so graciously sliced together the Dr. Dixon scenes from all three episodes: 

 

So, what do you think? Is showing this stereotyped behavior better?