>> WATCHING EMOTIONALLY
MANIPULATIVE COMMERCIALS.
>> I WANT SOMEONE NORM.
>> WELL, AND ALBERT PLAYING
HARRISON.
>> THAT'S TORTURE.
>> ARE THREE ACTORS WHO
THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED
WITH AUTISM.
>>> WHEN YOU FIRST MET, WHAT WAS
IT LIKE?
>> IT WAS JUST REALLY FUN TO
MEET PEOPLE THAT COULD TEACH ME
AND VALIDATE ME.
LIKE OH MY GOD, THANK GOD I'M
NOT O THE OUNL ONE.
>> FOR ALBERT THE SHOW PUFLD A
LIFELONG DREAM.
>> SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID.
WHERE DO I GO IN HERE?
HOW AM I GOING TO PAY OFF
STUDENT LOANS.
MY COUSIN RILEY CALLED AND SAID
I MIGHT HAVE GOT YOU AN
AUDITION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY IT?
AND I JUST SAID, YES.
>> Reporter: THE SHOW SETS UP TO
GET RID OF LABELS OFTEN PLACED
ON NEURODIVERSE CHARACTERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT MOVIES
AND POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT THAT
IN A SENSE STOOTHDED.
>> PEOPLE THINK WE'RE REALLY
GOOD AT TWO THINGS.EREOTYPED.
>> PEOPLE THINK WE'RE REALLY
GOOD AT TWO THINGS.
>> MATH.
>> RAIN MAN.
>> THE SAVANT.
>> I HATE MATH.
>> HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
IDEA PEOPLE ALREADY THINK THEY
KNOW YOU.
>> ESPECIALLY MY COMMUNITY AND
THE ASIAN COMMUNITY THERE IS SO
MUCH STIGMA AROUND ANY TYPE OF
MENTAL DIFFERENCES AND BECAUSE
OF THAT I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO AREN'T GETTING SUPPORTS THEY
NEED.
>> RICK WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
AUTISM AS AN ADULT JUST FIVE
YEARS AGO.
DO YOU FEEL SINCE STARTING
WORKING THIS SHOW THAT YOUR OWN
VOICE AND OWN ADVOCACY HAS
GOTTEN STRONGER?
>> YES, I FEEL THAT I HAVE FOUND
A LOT OF MYSELF DURING THIS
SHOW.
AND ODDLY, A LOT OF IT FROM
DOING PRESS ABOUT THE SHOW.
I WAS ONLY NERVOUS ABOUT ONE
THING, AND IT WAS THIS STUFF.
IT WAS ABOUT ME BEING AN
ADVOCATE AND/OR SPOKESPERSON FOR
AUTISM, WHEN I'M STILL LEARNING
ABOUT IT.
HE KNOWS ABOUT HIS AUTISM BUT
DOESN'T WANT TO BE OUTED BECAUSE
THEN PEOPLE ARE GOING JUDGE HIM.
>> AND YOUR CHARACTER DOES GET
OUTED.
>> IS IT OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE
THAT I'M NOT NORMAL.
>> DEVASTATING, BECAUSE HE
THOUGHT HEFF WAS DOING SUCH GOOD
JOB WHAT WAS NORMAL.
WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING.
>> AND I'M SO GRATEFUL.
>> Reporter: HOW HAS BEING ON
THE SHOW CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
>> I CAN PAY OFF MY STUDENT
LOANS.
>> Reporter: FOR FOLKS WHO ARE
SEEING THIS, WHAT DO YOU WANT
THEM TO COME AWAY WITH?
>> THERE IS A HONESTY TO IT.
THERE IS SO MUCH HUMOR THAT
COMES FROM THAT HONESTY.
BUT WE ALSO DON'T SHY AWAY FROM
THE THINGS THAT ARE HARD ABOUT
IT.
ALSO HOPE THAT WE'LL ILLUMINATE
STUFF FOR PEOPLE.
IT CAN HELP THEM HAVE MORE
EMPATHY AND UNDERSTAND A LITTLE
BIT MORE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO
BE LOOKING AT THE WORLD THROUGH
THIS LENS.
>> Reporter: AND SOMETHING ELSE
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO JASON IS
SHOWING ALL SIDES OF STORY FROM
FAMILIES PERSPECTIVE AND OTHER
CARETAKERS AND COWORKERS.
AND HERE IS SOMETHING STARTLING.
80% OF FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES
LIKE AUTISM REMAIN UNEMPLOYED.
REGARDLESS OF THEIR EDUCATION OR
THEIR SKILL LEVEL.
SO HOPEFULLY, AND AS A PARENT OF
A NEURO DIVERSE SON ABOUT TO
BECOME AN ADULT AND GO OFF TO
COLLEGE AND ALL THIS.
THESE ARE THINGS WE ARE ALL ARE
CONCERNED OF, CAREGIVERS AND
PARENTS.
WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT
STEP?
AND THIS SHOW REALLY TAKES AN