Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Is The Good Doctor An Accurate Portrayal Of Autism

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Im Not Asking For A Lot Here Im Asking To See A More Accurate Representation Of Me And My Autism On Screen Im Asking That We Can Be More Involved In The Creative Process Im Asking That We Dont Simply Tick Boxes To Get A Show Onto A Network

Three Things the Good Doctor Gets Right About Autism

You may have gotten down to this section of the piece and wonder why does it matter?

It matters because for people not living with a disability or who dont have a close connection with someone who is, the consequences may be hard to see. But for me and those within the disability community, it leaves us feeling we are invisible.

Review Of The Good Doctor: Season Two

Last years premiere of the first season of The Good Doctor, starring Freddie Highmore as autistic surgical resident Shaun Murphy, drew widespread acclaim among many viewers for its realistic depiction of the strengths and challenges associated with being on the autism spectrum, which Highmore brilliantly captures, and for its strides in bringing autism into mainstream television for a contemporary audience. Throughout the first season, Shaun struggled to gain acceptance and understanding from the other hospital staff while repeatedly demonstrating his genius in finding innovative solutions to difficult surgical issues. The team members, in turn, had to learn how to navigate Shauns difficulties at social interaction, with the result that some initially skeptical individuals gradually developed a new respect for Shauns medical brilliance. Things took a dramatic turn, however, at the seasons climax when hospital president Dr. Glassman was diagnosed with brain cancer and subsequently had to undergo hospitalization, presenting Shaun with new challenges that he would have to increasingly master on his own without the usual aid of his benefactor and mentor.

Some Experts Told Insider That General Hospital Isn’t Very Accurate But They Enjoy It Anyway

Medical Accuracy: 5/10

Entertainment Value: 7/10

The first episode of ABC’s “General Hospital” aired all the way back in 1963, making it one of the longest-running American soap operas.

The show revolves around the various intrigues and life events of its central cast, and though experts said “General Hospital” is mostly lacking in medical accuracy, it’s still fun to watch.

“I grew up watching ‘General Hospital’ daily at 3 p.m. every day after school,” oncology nurse and patient advocateGail Trauco told Insider. “It may have been total fantasy, but it provided my first insight into hospital life and how it can spill over into the personal lives of medical staff.”

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Can Someone With Autism Really Become A Doctor

Theoretically, yes. The pilot episode of the show even brings this up as hospital administrators argue about whether or not a person with autism could communicate or empathize well enough with patients to provide adequate care.

But according to Darold A. Treffert, M.D. who was a consultant on the movie Rain Man, an earlier story of someone with autism and savant syndrome whether or not someone with autism could become a doctor would depend on where they fell on the spectrum.

Autism can range from severe to mild. Someone high-functioning, such as Shaun Murphy, could successfully complete medical school and a residency program and go on to practice or teach medicine. Something The Good Doctor portrays well are the challenges someone in that position might face such as behaving appropriately in front of patients and to their superiors.

There are individuals with autism who complete PhDs, write books, run successful businesses, and more. Because every person on the spectrum is different, its impossible to generalize the possibilities. But to say its impossible simply wouldnt be fair to anyone determined to try.

Atypical Behaviors Can Improve

Actor Of The Good Doctor ~ whiteartdecors

Antonia Thomas and Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor

Autistic people are not doomed to have the same exact behaviors theyve had since childhood. The more input and interactions are involved, the more that person can learn to navigate the world. Shauns savant syndrome gives him a leg up in the knowledge department, but he needs other people to give him cues and clues so that he understands behavior thats not straightforward. Thus far, hes been shown to acquire new understanding of sarcasm. No doubt hes also been learning to grasp the finer points of other humor as well.

On the flip side, Dr. Browne is also learning how to see things from his point of view and to communicate with him. Their exchanges have improved because shes had more interactions with him.

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Shaun Murphy A Young Surgeon And Autistic Savant

Murphy exists to enlighten his neurotypical peers. After autistic people complained about several recently the first trailer has been released so i’ll go through it and highlight the good and bad. We applaud the good doctor for featuring dr. Like netflix’s atypical, another recent series focusing on a lead with autism, the good doctor struggles to balance its tone. An accurate representation of how the world treats i love the confidence that shines through highmore’s portrayal of low eye contact and faltering speech. Accuracy of portrayal the average person watching this movie would probably think this individual is mentally what’s eating gilbert grape? The series, based on a south korean drama, follows dr. Autistic people report considerably higher rates of bullying. Shaun murphy , a young surgeon and autistic savant. In an exchange with a skeptical hospital board, the president of san jose the association of autism with white men could manifest as underdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis among women and people of color. Portrayals of characters with autism spectrum disorders in films and tv series are subject to intense debate over whether such representations are accurate. Actor daniel dae kim noticed the original series and bought the rights for. I have been watching a new show called the good doctor which portrays an incredibly autistic surgeon who lacks bedside manners and people however, the portrayal of the docs, medicine , and most importantly the continued.

A Review Of The Good Doctor

The ABC miniseries The Good Doctor, which has become an extremely popular television show of late, features the English actor Freddie Highmore as Shaun Murphy, a young medical genius with high-functioning autism and Savant Syndrome. In the TV Series, Shawn is hired at a San Jose, California hospital as a surgical resident over the objections of the majority of the hospital board. The hospitals president, Dr. Glassman , a father figure to Shaun since the latters childhood, stakes his professional reputation on his young protégés prospective success and insists that the hospital hire him, declaring that he will resign as president in the event of Shauns failure.

While Shaun is initially shunned by most of the hospital staff and given the menial task of scut work by the supervising surgeon Dr. Melendez who visibly feels professionally threatened by him, he builds a close rapport with Claire Browne , a fellow surgical resident who develops a strong sensitivity and empathy toward Shaun while learning to navigate his difficulties with social interactions. Over the course of his work at the hospital, Shaun repeatedly demonstrates his genius as a surgeon and plays an important role in cases with different patients while struggling to gain acceptance from the hospital staff and the families of patients due to his social challenges as an individual on the autism spectrum.

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Freddie Highmore On Acting And Staying Grounded As An Actor

The Good Doctor stars actor Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism. While Highmore plays a physician with autism, Highmore does not have autism. That said, Freddie did a lot of research and worked with an autistic consultant to help with his TV series role.

Since 2017, British actor Highmore has played Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism, on the ABC medical drama. Playing a character with autism on such a big stage, Highmore takes the role very seriously.

I feel very fortunate to have been offered the part of Shaun, he told Digital Spy. It seemed like an incredibly important project, and thats why I wanted to be a part of it. Im proud to be a part of it.

On Shaun’s Evolution As A Character:

Real Doctor Reacts to THE GOOD DOCTOR | Medical Drama Review | Doctor Mike

” spoke mostly about Shaun and the development of his character over time,” Freddie told the LA Times. “People who aren’t aware of autism in a personal way or haven’t watched the show sometimes say, ‘How will Shaun change? He’ll always have autism. What’s his arc going to be?’ So one of the things we discussed early on is, ‘Yes, he’ll always have autism. But he’s going to change continuously as an individual as he adapts to this new world that he finds himself in.’ That was exciting to me: This individual, regardless of whether or not he’s on the spectrum, is going on a journey as a character.”

Just because Shaun has autism, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to grow and change as a person.

Specifically, as Freddie said on Popcorn With Peter Travers, he’s enjoyed watching Shaun evolve from the naive young man he was when he first arrived in the “big city” for his residency after growing up in the countryside: “Just because Shaun has autism, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to grow and change as a person,” he said.

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Freddie Highmore As Dr Shaun Murphy

Freddie Highmore takes on the role of The Good Doctors protagonist, Dr Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgical resident. The young doctors savant abilities include the ability to photographic recall and the ability to note minute details and changes in his patients, which are often intertwined with flashbacks to his teen years .

While hes all grown up now, fans may remember Highmore for his role as Charlie in the 2005 Tim Burton classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The English actor later earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Norman Bates in the psychological thriller series, Bates Motel. As well as taking on The Good Doctor and Bates Motels title characters, Highmore has written, produced and directed episodes for both shows.

Is The Good Doctor An Accurate Portrayal Of Autism

Is The Good Doctor An Accurate Portrayal Of Autism. An accurate representation of what autism can look like. After autistic people complained about several recently the first trailer has been released so i’ll go through it and highlight the good and bad.

Autistic people report considerably higher rates of bullying. At the beginning of the new season premiere of the the good doctor it was widely praised for its sensitive and accurate portrayal of the reality of autism and viewers adored its soapy melodramatic plotlines. The good doctor highlights more savant syndrome than autism, and i welcome that exposure toward better understanding and appreciation of savant that happened and i think the accurate and sensitive, unembellished portrayal of savant syndrome by the good doctor elevates information. Accuracy of portrayal the average person watching this movie would probably think this individual is mentally what’s eating gilbert grape? Why not cast an autistic actor to play shaun?

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On Doing Research For The Role:

Before playing Shaun, Freddie said he was“aware” of autism because he knows people in his personal life with the condition. But in order to properly portray a person with autism himself, Freddie and The Good Doctor showrunner David Shore did a ton of research before even filming their first episode. They also hired autism consultant Melissa Reiner to help them get the character just right.

“David Shore, our wonderful main writer and showrunner, and I sat down before the pilot and also between the pilot and making the show with the consultant that we still have on-board,” Freddie said on ABC podcast Popcorn With Peter Travers. “And also just traded back and forth books and pieces of literature and documentaries that we thought were useful or gave us some sort of insight into building this one, very particular character.”

Freddie’s research hasn’t stopped since, even now that he’s three seasons into playing his character: “I’m constantly learning,” he told Digital Spy in March 2019. “Aside from continual research, or working with the consultant that we have, I’m also talking to people who feel that they have a personal connection to the show through autism, and are pleased or thankful that the show is seeking to raise awareness in that way.”

The Good Doctor Actor Is He Really Autistic

The costs and benefits of portraying autism on TV ...

The Good Doctor Actor Is He Really Autistic. Is actor freddie highmore autistic in real life? I would say that he does a very good dramatic representation.

In the new york post, he said he knows someone with autism but he also did research and watched. It follows the life of shaun murphy , a young surgeon who lives with autism and savant. 17 2020, updated 4:50 p.m. That said, freddie did a lot of research and worked with an autistic consultant to help with his tv series role. He is special and brilliantbut his challenges are extraordinary.

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The ‘good Doctor’ And Autism: Does Abc Get It Right

Hollywood has apparently discovered that a growing segment of the population is on the autism spectrum. The 2017 Power Rangers movie and new Netflix series Atypical, for instance, have main characters with autism.

Perhaps the most high-profile offering is ABCs new show The Good Doctor. The drama stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a talented young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome. It shows how he navigates daily life and his work at a prestigious hospitals pediatric surgical unit.

The series, championed by former Bethlehem resident Daniel Dae Kim, has been a mega-hit. It leap-frogged The Big Bang Theory to become the most-watched American show after just three episodes.

What do people who know about autism think of The Good Doctor? We asked readers to share thoughts.

Experts as well as some Lehigh Valley parents praise it as a perfect prescription to spur conversation and awareness about autism.

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Before youd never hear about autism, says Lisa Basara of Lower Saucon Township, whose son Dominic was diagnosed with autism at age 3.

For us its really cool to see a main character who is autistic. I have nothing but positive things to say about it.

We see this show as a great step toward increasing understanding and acceptance.

They are unbelievably on point, Basara says.

Does The Good Doctor Get Autism Right

The Good Doctor | ABC

Kerry Magro, a motivational speaker and author who is also on the autism spectrum, shared her thoughts on the shows portrayal of the disorder on the Autism Speaks blog after it first premiered.

She wrote: Freddie does well in his debut, showing several characteristics that can accompany an autism diagnosis. These characteristics include things such as social awkwardness, lack of eye contact, playing with his hands during stressful situations still something I do to this day.

Dr. Arshya Vahabzadeh, a psychiatrist and autism specialist, offered a few criticisms of the show speaking especially to the difficulties of portraying varying degrees of disability through one main character.

I think its great that a program highlights a character with autism in a professional careerautism is a huge spectrum, he said. The overly robotic nature of the character we see in the show doesnt hold true for many people I know with autism.

Autism is medically called autism spectrum disorder because it varies from mild to severe. Every individual with autism displays different characteristics, challenges, and abilities.

Put simply, viewers shouldnt assume Shaun Murphy is an accurate portrayal of all people with autism. But that doesnt mean he doesnt accurately represent many common characteristics of the disorder.

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Most Honest Depictions Of People With Autism In Tv And Movies

Autism spectrum disorder isnt always easy to understand for anyone who hasnt been immediately exposed to it. Like other phenomena, many people become familiar with ASD through the way the disorder is depicted in television and movies.

Of course, not all TV shows or movies are created equal. There are good and bad portrayals of both people with ASD and with the effects the disorder has on their families and lives. The bad portrayals verge on caricature and plant wildly misleading perspectives in peoples heads the good ones improve understanding and spread empathy for both those with ASD and the caregivers and family members who deal with the disorder.

Its a particular challenge for actors and actresses asked to play characters with ASD but in recent years many of them have been able to rise to the occasion with remarkable skill. Its all the more impressive when considering that most of these roles are depicting kids, and younger actors are the ones forced to step up to the plate and create genuine and moving performances with characters who are both non-traditional and wildly foreign to the audiences experience.

Here are seven films or TV shows with the most honest depictions of characters with autism spectrum disorders.

My Review Of ‘the Good Doctor’ As An Adult With Autism

From Freddie Highmore ( Dr . Shaun Murphy ) to his Fans – The Good Doctor

This blog is by Kerry Magro, an award-winning international motivational speaker and best-selling author whos on the autism spectrum. A version of this blog originally appeared on Kerrymagro.com.

Full disclosure: After only watching one episode, I have no idea what the future is for The Good Doctor . What I can tell you: this show has all the makings of an ABC smash hit.

Lets begin with the cast. Freddie Highmore stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy, an up-and-coming surgeon who also happens to have autism and savant syndrome. This is a very difficult role for anyone to play given how broad the autism spectrum truly is. Some criticism has occurred as many TV productions and films try to address autism issues. There is no one size fits all in attempting to define characters on the spectrum. This list in recent years includes characters such as Walter Hill in Joyful Noise, Billy in the new Power Rangers Movie, Jane in Jane Wants a Boyfriend, and most recently in Sam Gardener, a high-functioning teen with autism in Netflixs Atypical.

As for the script there are several plot lines that will intrigue audiences and the direction couldnt be crisper from Seth Gordon along with the writing done by David Shore .

This show has staying power and I can only hope the creators of the show along with Sony and ABC will continue to include voices of those on the spectrum as the show continues.

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