Special Needs On T.V!

Lately I have noticed that people with different types of special needs, seem to be all over television. The first example I noticed was a couple years ago on the show Parenthood. The main family has a son with Aspergers ( a form of Austism Spectrum Disorder) and they take the viewers through some of the real experiences that parents of special needs kids really go through. That was a fictional depiction but it was quite accurate and it felt great as a mom to see this being embraced publicly.

Lately I've noticed a couple reality shows that are either based on living with special needs or include a main character that has special needs. Push Girls a show on the Sundance Channel is a wonderful show that features 4 beautiful, fashionable women who are all confined to wheel chairs after suffering various accidents that paralyzed them either from the neck down or the waist down etc. I have watched this show a few times and it is beyond inspiring. These women are living typical lives in most ways and are fulfilled and happy.

Another show called Barter Kings features two men who own a store and make their money by trading goods for higher value items. One of the partners is a guy named Antonio who is good looking and hip. He  has a wife and 3 children and he also has Tourette's Syndrome. During the episodes he often gives little tid bits of information about Tourette's like "people think that Tourette's means you swear all the time, I just get attached to certain words and keep saying them over and over."  He is such a cool guy and while he has verbal and physical ticks here and there, he makes his special need an extremely minor part of who he is. I'm certain it is something he deals with everyday but he not only has educated the public, he is an amazing reminder to moms like me that special needs do not have to get in the way of success.

Children and adults with special needs are becoming more accepted and integrated everyday.  Community theaters like Sterling Civic Theater in Detroit, are including special needs children in all of their productions and certain cruise ship lines are even advertising their special needs theater inclusion programs.

It is wonderful to see the special needs community featured in front of a large audience to not only educate the public but to inspire us as well. I have always been excited to see what my little boy will grow up to become but shows like this prove to me that he will have no problem achieving success.