Why You Should Watch “As We See It”

You’ll love this ground-breaking show

Okay, I know we all take life too seriously (at least I do) and need to have some laughs now and then, and it’s an amazing combination when you can be entertained and laugh and learn something important at the same time.

That’s why I’m recommending “As We See It” on Amazon Prime about three autistic adults navigating the same rites of passage (getting a job, finding a girlfriend, making friends, living independently) as other twenty-somethings.

Except it’s a lot more difficult and funnier because the three adults have challenges encountering a world designed for neurotypical people.

I’m dropping it in Age of Awareness so teachers can learn about the challenges of autistic students once they’ve graduated from high school.

As a dad of a teenage son on the spectrum, I was glad to see a show on what happens when autistic kids grow up and face the adult world with all of the sensory, emotional, and social-communication trials this transition involves.

A scary statistic

Here is a scary statistic for autistic parents that isn’t too widely known. Of high school graduates who are autistic, 66% don’t have a job or education plan, according to a report by the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.

That’s essentially what “As We See It” is about: It’s a coming-of-age story showing three autistic adults making the hard transition to adulthood.

My wife and I binged watched the eight episodes of season one in two nights, and a frequent comment I made after every scene was, “That was a great scene.” I made this comment after at least 70% of the scenes.

That’s how well “As We See It” portrays the challenges of autistic adults.

#Actually autistic actors

It was a tribute to the ability of writer-producer Jason Katims, who produced “Friday Night Lights,” to depict autism experience so authentically. Nothing seemed inauthentic, and that’s because Katims, the father of an adult autistic son, chose to use autistic actors to play the three main characters in the show.

I’m sure non-autistic actors could’ve portrayed autistic characters, but I feel we wouldn’t accept a white actor conveying the experience of a black person, and it should be seen the same way for neurotypical actors playing autistics.

I think Katims understood this as the father of an adult autistic son, and he knows the many challenges autistic adults experience and it only seems right autistic actors should be given the chance to portray their lives in a tv show.

“It’s important to me because I wanted to get it as right as we could. It was also really important, for the same reason, to have people on both sides of the camera who identify as on the spectrum.” — Jason Katims, Forbes Magazine

First time in a movie

It was the first time for autistic actor Albert Rutecki to be in a movie, and the graduate from Hofstra university said it was a joy and emotional challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to act. I’ve done community theater and student films. This was such an exciting opportunity and a great crew. Inside, I had a lot of stuff going on. ‘Do I deserve this? Will I do a good job? What if I mess up?’ ”

Albert Rutecki, Interview in Popculture.com

Master at triage

The hub of the show is Mandy, a life coach who supports the three autistic characters living together as roommates in a home paid for by their parents. She is referred to as an aide in the film, but she is way more than an aide.

Sosie Bacon, the daughter of actor Kevin Bacon and who is on the spectrum, is a mentor, therapist, friend, brother, sister to the three main characters and their family members, and a one-woman triage support service for everyone.

One could argue she treats the characters at times as friends more than a coach, but this is what makes them trust her and open up to her in ways they never would, and I think this is what most autistic people need in real life.

It reminded me that sometimes students need a teacher to break out of the role of teacher to listen and care about a problem they’re going through, and I’ve found when I do this the student has a different attitude towards learning.

Just by watching Mandy in action teachers could learn to handle some of the numerous fires in class with a more human approach than a disciplinary one.

My favorite actor

The autistic characters are phenomenal in their roles, each having different but similar challenges, but the series wouldn’t work without the supporting roles of neurotypical actors like Joe Mantegna, playing the neurotypical dad.

But it struck me as I was falling asleep which character I liked the best. I was alternating between the three autistic characters, Jack (Rick Glassman), Harrison (Albert Rutecki), and Violet (Sue Ann Pien), but then another character slipped into my mind as my favorite character in the show.

It is Jack’s neurotypical girlfriend, Ewatomi (Délé Ogundiran). She was my favorite character because she’s the one neurotypical character who seeks to understand the perspective of a person who is on the autism spectrum.

What is great about the relationship between Ewatomi and Jack is that it highlights the gap between neurotypical and neurodivergent people in our society, and she shows us an individual seeking to bridge these two worlds.

It isn’t something she sets out to do; it just happens after a hilarious first meeting (spoiler alert) where Jack tries to grab medical records from her, and the scenes between the two make you laugh and learning a lot about autism.

The tv series America needs

You heard it here first in this paragraph that Jack and Ewatomi could have a tv series all by themselves, and it would be HOT. They have such great chemistry together, and the show could be about love and relationships with the focus on a neurotypical and autistic person building a bridge between two worlds.

Jason Katims, are you listening? You know America needs this show. Rick Glassman and Délé Ogundiran, are you listening? You can make it happen.

Thanks for reading my story.

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