When “Parenthood,” the television version of Ron Howard’s 1989 film, premiered on NBC last fall, audiences were introduced to the Bravermans, a colorful California family anchored by Camille and Zeek Braverman (played by industry vet Craig T. Nelson and actress Bonnie Bedelia) and their four grown children, all of whom have families of their own. The show presents numerous plot lines at once, dealing with everything from lost jobs to stay-at-home fatherhood, making it an often touching and realistic portrayal of modern day parenting.
One story line in particular that has resonated with audiences is that of Adam and Kristina Braverman (played by Peter Krause and Monica Potter) and their nine-year-old son, Max (played by 13-year-old Max Burkholder) who in the beginning of the first season is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. As children with special needs aren’t frequently portrayed on television, the show has been lauded not only for portraying a family dealing with autism, but for doing so accurately. Much of the credit for this feat belongs to Jason Katims, the show’s creator and writer, who used his own family’s experience as inspiration for the story; his 13-yearold son, Sawyer, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was two years old.
Katims says that he set out to “re-imagine” the 1989 film to reflect what people are thinking about today, which, for many families, includes special needs.
He included the character of Max “not because special needs didn’t exist 20 years ago, but because it hasn’t been examined in a way that I thought we could examine it on the show,” he said.
Katims bases some of the Bravermans’ story on his own experiences, but the show isn’t autobiographical, and Katims makes a point of making Max unique and distinctly different from Sawyer.
The show has received praise for the accuracy of Max’s character and the unaffected portrayal by Burkholder. “There aren’t many actors his age that could be so natural in front of the camera,” Katims said. “He’s really researched and created this character that feels specific and authentic.” Still, the overwhelming reaction to the Asperger’s storyline was something Katims never anticipated. In the hours after the episode revealing Max’s diagnosis aired, “Asperger’s” (and various misspellings) was the number one searched term on Google.
Katims hopes the storyline will help reduce the stigma associated with special needs, though he didn’t set out to teach a lesson. “Going into it, I didn’t have a lot of big, highfalutin goals,” Katims said. “I was just writing a story that was personal to me and that I hoped would resonate.”
Burkholder had similar hopes for his portrayal of Max; he was initially worried that his character might seem forced, and wasn’t sure how audiences would react. “Every person is different, so naturally, every person who has Asperger’s is different,” the he says. “Max is so much more than a kid who has Asperger’s.” To prepare for the role, Burkholder did plenty of research and worked with a behavioral therapist and acting coach. He was particularly inspired by the book by famed autistic doctor Temple Grandin, “Thinking in Pictures.”
Max’s story is more than just an individual’s struggle to cope with the disorder, but a family’s struggle to adjust. “The fact that Max has Asperger’s is part of a larger story about this marriage and this family,” Katims says, and this is something he expects other families dealing will relate to.
“An Asperger’s diagnosis can make parents feel very alone,” Katims says. “You kind of feel like, ‘Who do I turn do? What does this mean?’” Katims hopes that “Parenthood” has tapped into that feeling and opened up a new discussion about autism. “I think if we can shed some light on [Asperger’s syndrome], it’s great—both for people who don’t know what it’s like to have a child with autism, and for people who are experiencing it themselves, because they can feel represented and heard.”
‘Parenthood’ airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC; For more information, visit nbc.com/parenthood. For more information about Asperger’s syndrome, visit aspergers.com.
