Carey Ray

Psyc 410 Fall 2015, Due 11/24/15

Autism Spectrum Disorder as seen on Parenthood

Love, death, marriage, divorce, moving, birth of a child. These are all difficult

circumstances many families today face. The television show Parenthood, takes the audience

through the life of the Braverman family and all of the obstacles that they encounter. Early on in

the beginning of the series, we are introduced to Adam and Kristina Braverman and their two

children, Haddie and Max (Katims, 2010). They appear to be the perfect family, but when Max is

diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, everything seems to begin falling apart (Katims, 2010). The

audience experiences all of the trials they Bravermans face as it takes them through the reality of

dealing with a psychological disorder and not only how it affects those with the disorder, but

how it affects everyone around them.

So what exactly is this disorder? Asperger syndrome, is an Autism Spectrum disorder,

which is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can be characterized by communication difficulties,

social impairment and restrictive or repetitive patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric

Association, 2000). The criteria for diagnosing this disorder can be found in the Diagnostic and

Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- IV. Two separate categories of impairment are apparent

in the DSM-IV and these include qualitative impairment in social interactions and restricted,

repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities (American Psychiatric

Association, 2000). In the qualitative impairment in social interactions categories, at least two

criteria must be met, and in the second category, at least one criteria listed in the DSM-IV must

be met (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Max is diagnosed in 2010, when he is eight

years old and at this time, the DSM-IV is still the newest edition of the DSM. In 2013 however,

the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published, and

there is a big change involving Asperger syndrome and other Autism Spectrum Disorders. A

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study done by Tsai and Ghaziuddin (2014) shows that out of 125 studies comparing Aspergers

disorder with autistic disorder (AD), only 30 of these studies concluded that Aspergers and AD

were similar conditions. Even though this study shows that the two disorders shouldnt become

one single category, this can be taken account for when producing the DSM-VI.

Autism spectrum disorder consists of deficits in social interaction and communication as

well as the presence of restrictive or repetitive behavior (Beidel, Bulik, & Stanley, 2014). It can

result in behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, aggression, impulsivity, and irritability

(Beidel et al., 2014). Some people meeting criteria for this disorder require special classes at

school, but others can function well in advanced classrooms (Beidel et al., 2014). According to

the DSM-V, there are two categories of criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder. In the DSM-IV,

there were four disorders all categorized as pervasive developmental disorder and now it is all

seen as one disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Criteria A is categorized by

persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts,

which has to be manifested by all of the following, deficits in social-emotional reciprocity,

Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction and Deficits in

developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships(American Psychiatric Association,

2013). Criteria B is restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities and must

be manifested by at least two of the following, Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use

of objects, or speech, Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized

patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal

in intensity or focus", and hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in

sensory aspects of the environment (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Max was

specifically diagnosed with Aspergers in season 1 of the television series, but the question is

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whether or not Max will meet criteria for the autism spectrum disorder. According to a study

done by Young and Rodi (2014), only 57.1% of participants meeting criteria for PDD, met

criteria for autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-V and high functioning individuals were less

likely to meet criteria for ASD than those meeting criteria for autism disorder. Aspergers is one

of these high functioning disorders, so Maxs specific symptoms need to be observed to

determine whether or not he would meet criteria.

In season 1 of Parenthood, Max is a young boy, in elementary school. He is seen wearing

a pirate costume to school every day and observed becoming violent to other students in class

(Katims, 2010). At home, Max is shown communicating with his father, Adam, in a one-way

conversation, talking about beetles, and when his father attempts to ask Max a question, and Max

completely ignores it and continues talking about said beetles (Katims, 2010). Max seldom

shows any facial expressions, and appears to not be able to interpret peoples change in body

language or tone of voice. He is seen in season 3, being taught by his cousin Amber to recognize

these social cues (Katims, 2010). It is also apparent throughout all 6 seasons of this show, that

Max has difficulty maintaining friendships. In middle school, he finally develops a friendship

with a boy name Micah who has spina bifida. Their relationship ends, however, when Max tells

the Micah that his wheelchair will always prevent him from playing basketball correctly, not

realizing how that could Micah emotionally (Katims, 2010). With this, all 3 measures in the

social-communication criteria are met. Four criteria B, dealing with restrictive and repetitive

patterns, only two standards have to be met. Max has a very difficult time dealing with change in

routine. In season 3, episode 11, Max is supposed to go to a museum with his sister Haddie, but

an emergency comes up and they can no longer go. Max begins freaking out and Haddie ignores

him, so he decides he has to go to the museum on his own, because that was what they were

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supposed to do and ends up getting lost and everyone is frantically looking for him (Katims,

2010). Max is also highly focused on beetles, every different kind of beetle imaginable. Like

previously mentioned, Max has one-sided conversations about beetles with his family members,

when they are trying to ask him other questions. He is often bribed during therapy, with new

beetles (Katims, 2010). These meets the criteria of high restricted interests. Max is also more

hypo-sensitive to the environment than most, and when he is in the middle of a crises, when his

cousin Amber is in the hospital, all he cares to do is to go get pancakes like he was promised, and

he ends up upsetting the rest of the family, without realizing (Katims, 2010). The only criteria

Max does not necessarily meet would be that he doesnt have any stereotyped or repetitive motor

movements. In Maxs case, he would meet criteria for both Asperger syndrome and autism

spectrum disorder, but this is not always the case.

Throughout the show, Maxs disorder develops and changes. You can see Max experience

psychological distress, in an emotional way. As a young child, he does not really understand his

disorder and catch on to other students teasing him, but as he grows up, he begins to notice the

way other people laugh at him. In middle school, classmates refer to Max as a freak and on one

field trip, Max is seen shutting down and sitting in the middle of the hotel lobby in silence. His

parents have to pick him up and on the car ride home, they find out that another student in Maxs

class peed in his canteen because Max was a so-called freak (Katims, 2010). You see the

pain this puts Max in when he begins crying in the car, and cannot understand why he is

different. Parenthood, shows the viewer the heart-breaking reality of this psychological disorder.

But although Max, is often socially impaired, he is intellectually advanced, more so than anyone

in his class. With the help of his parents, he is able to attend a charter school for kids like him,

and he flourishes both in the classroom and socially (Katims, 2010).

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Psyc 410 Fall 2015, Due 11/24/15

Autism spectrum disorder does vary in severity, and in the case of Max Braverman, it is

less severe than others. However, the television series Parenthood, shows the truth behind how a

psychological disorder like Aspergers can affect a person. You see the hardship it puts on Maxs

parents and sibling, as well as the struggles Max faces on a daily basis. The portrayal of Maxs

disorder in no way glamorizes the psychological disorder, but brings the truth to light.

Citations

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American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical

manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric

Publishing.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

(5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Beidel, D., Bulik, C., & Stanley, M. (2014). Neurodevelopmental, Disruptive, Conduct, and

Elimination Disorders. In Abnormal Psychology. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New

Jersey: Pearson Education.

Katims, J. (Writer). (2010, March 2). Parenthood [Television series]. National Broadcasting

Company.

Tsai, L. Y., & Ghaziuddin, M. (2014). DSM-5 ASD moves forward into the past. Journal Of

Autism And Developmental Disorders, 44(2), 321-330. doi:10.1007/s10803

Young, R. L., & Rodi, M. L. (2014). Redefining autism spectrum disorder using DSM-5: The

implications of the proposed DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorders. Journal Of

Autism And Developmental Disorders, 44(4), 758-765. doi:10.1007/s10803