He said WHAT?????

  Okay, so any of you that have followed my ALFL page for any time, you know how much I love the show Parenthood. When Liam was first diagnosed I was told by another parent in an Autism forum to check out the show. We looked it up, and started from the beginning.

  If you follow the show, you know it's about the Braverman family. Kristina and Adam's son Max, has Aspergers. Though it's not the focus of the show, it's part of it, and it's nice to see it portrayed on tv.

  The other day it was rainy and crappy out, and Liam asked if we could watch it from the beginning again. I was game, because I love the show. I want to be a Braverman! (Not that I don't love my family. I just like the idea of a BIG close knit family.) So anyway, we started over. A couple things happened.

  First and foremost I cried. The pilot and episode two has a lot about Max and getting him diagnosed. It took me back to the day when Liam was first diagnosed. I cried and cried remembering that day.

   (rewinding back to Oct 2010) You see, Autism wasn't on our radar. When that first psych said Aspergers, I was speechless. What was it? Now what? Yes, I cried. For days. I sulked. I was depressed. I went through the usual grief one does when first told their child has issues.

  It didn't take too long though, and I realized, he's the same kid he has always been. I dove into online support groups, I started a blog, and then a few months later ALFL was born.

  Okay, fast forward to Saturday. I heard something on that pilot episode that apparently I missed when I first watched it. It shocked me, and it pissed me off.... Let me set the scene for you: Kristina meets up with Adam because she had just heard from the educational therapist. She is explaining to Adam that the therapist thinks Max has Aspergers.


 KRISTINA: A lot of people with Asperger's...

ADAM: Max is not autistic.

KRISTINA: Live very productive lives, Adam.

ADAM: Kristina, I've seen autistic kids. The Lessings' kid with the hand flapping…

DID HE JUST SAY THAT????? Is that what people think of my kid?????

  I was FUMING!!!! Did I not notice it the first time because my blinders were on? Maybe I didn't notice because at the time, I wasn't very "Autism educated." Was it because I too, was that ignorant??? Either way, that quote pissed me off!

  I turned to PITA with my mouth hanging open, and he too had the SAME look on his face. He paused it. I quickly said, "Did you hear that????" Yep, he did, and he was as disgusted as I was.

  Now, I still love this show. It shows a large family in good times and in bad. It portrays Aspergers fairly well. It has brought autism to the fore front, and has probably helped educate others as well.  However, that hand flapping comment was NOT cool NBC. "TOTES NOT COOL." (as Liam would say.)

  Part of me wants to boycott the show for that ignorant remark......part of me realizes that is probably how MANY parents feel/think when they embark on this autism journey.....

  So I guess that's where I'm at. It still makes me angry. Yet it also makes me was to create MORE awareness. MORE acceptance. So, I guess I will keep on keepin' on.....spreading the good word. Autism is AUSOME. And Adam Braverman, so is HAND FLAPPING!!!!

to view that transcript, CLICK HERE.