NPR

Netflix, ABC Portrayals Of Autism Still Fall Short, Critics Say

Two new TV series feature main characters who have autism. While some are applauding the fresh take on the disorder, others worry that the shows send the wrong messages.
Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, a high schooler who has autism, in Netflix's new series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHh4U-QYwU"><em>Atypical</em></a>.

Like a lot of kids in high school, Sam worries that he doesn't fit in.

"I'm a weirdo. That's what everyone says," declares the 18-year-old character at the center of Netflix's new dramatic comedy series Atypical.

One reason Sam struggles to fit in: He has autism.

As his character explains at the start of the first episode, sometimes he doesn't understand what people mean when they say things. And that makes him feel alone, even when he's not.

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