In a scene from NBC's "Parenthood," two parents are attempting to get their 8-year-old son ready for school. The child insists on wearing a pirate costume to class, again. His father asks him to take it off so he won't get teased. His mother says it's OK, mainly so she can get him out the door on time.It could be a scene from any prime-time comedy. But its context in "Parenthood" is unusual.
The 8-year-old boy, the son of main characters Adam and Kristina Braverman, has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.
Hollywood has been portraying autism spectrum disorders for some time. In its first season (1974-1975), Police Woman occasionally showed the autistic sister of the title character. The star of the series, Angie Dickinson, had a daughter with Asperger's Syndrome. The daughter, Nikki Bacharach, committed suicide in 2007.
