Besides spurring the conversation and creating awareness about autism, the Good Doctor invites
you to gain a broader perspective on the life of an autistic person.
But sometimes the show`s creators go too far...
Which autistic characteristics of Dr. Shaun Murphy are real and which are not?
Let's find out right now.
1. There is no defined behavior.
Ok, we need to clarify that there are no "10 or 25 rules" clearly defining how an autistic
person should behave.
The way the Good Doctor presents himself may not have anything to do with the way autism
manifests itself for someone else.
There is no “one size fits all” in attempting to define where someone falls on the spectrum.
As Freddie expained in interview: 'We wanted to portray Shaun authentically, but at the
same time, it's necessary to recognise that Shaun should not be held up as a representative
for all people who have autism.'
The actor personally explored the subject.
He studied a lot, and tried to dive into real practice as much as possible.
A friend of Freddie Highmore has children who are diagnosed with autism, and so the
actor has a personal relationship with these children.
The show also has has its own Autism Consultant - Melissa Reiner, who is a professional in the field.
We felt a great deal of pressure and responsibility with the character,' says Freddie.
Recently, the list of autistic characters on television has expanded and so we get to
be more aware of the variation on the autism spectrum.
Just think of Walter Hill in Joyful Noise or Jane in Jane Wants a Boyfriend, and most
recently in Sam Gardener, a high-functioning teen with autism in Netflix’s "Atypical".
they are pretty different and so the one very important lesson we should understand:
“Autism can’t define a person.
An autistic individual can live a full life.”
Shaun and others are not defined by their diagnosis.
2. Savant syndrome defined in a wrong way.
People with Savant syndrome are exceptionally talented at one or a few things, but in terms
of the rest of their lives, sometimes they can’t even take a bus or put food on a plate properly.
In this sense, Shaun is not accurately portrayed.
He is obviously high-functioning, but also autistic at the same time.
Although, this can be forgiven as Shaun could have been taught and given instructions, which
could be mastered by an autisitc person.
Which brings us to number 3.
3. Atypical Behaviors Can Improve.
Autistic people are not doomed to have the same exact behaviors they’ve had since childhood.
The more input and interactions are involved, the more that person can learn to navigate the world.
Shaun needs other people to give him cues and clues so that he understands behavior
that’s not straightforward.
For instance, in the early episodes, he’s been shown to acquire a new understanding of sarcasm.
On the flip side, Dr. Browne (Antonia Thomas) is also learning how to see things from his
point of view and to communicate with him.
Their exchanges have improved because she’s had more interactions with Shaun.
Everyone is able to adjust their style of communcation with someone who has autism,
so that both sides might be ablet to relate to each other in a better way.
The show`s critic Noreen Flynn, whose son has Asperger’s syndrome, says,
“If you’re hiring someone or working with someone with autism, take a minute to talk to them.
They are very intelligent and can you learn a lot from them, and they can learn from you.”
In this area, the show gives a perfect example of how to build warm relations.
4. Sexual Feelings do exist.
Finally!
Finally there is a show, where an autistic person is not devoid of sexual feelings!
On the episode titled “Pipes,” it’s revealed that Shaun has watched some sexual
materials for his pleasure.
He comments that “some” porn videos do have stories and plots, and later it’s clear
that he’s aware of some of the scantily clad women in the advertising around him.
As one of the characters mentioned to some guys who were mocking Shaun about his sexual
interests: "of course he does!
As any other man."
And that is great to acknowledge, in the sense of giving a much wider perspective on autistic
behavior in the show.
Shaun appears to also be aware of his attractive neighbor Lea (Paige Spara), So it is interesting
to see how Shaun is going to develop his non-platonic feelings to her.
5. Statements work better than Questions.
The episode where Dr. Browne is trying to get to know Dr. Murphy is just wonderful for
all its useful tips.
She was questioning him about everything he did and it seemed that Shaun was simply ignoring her.
But when Dr. Browne started to simply give him statements about what concerned her, Shaun
answered right away.
This highlights the importance of the manner in which information is received and processed,
especially for individuals with a diagnosis of autism.
Commands and questions may often yield an explosive response, or a response in which
the recipient of the interaction shuts down and becomes non-responsive altogether.
Communication with statements on the other hand, is more adeptly processed and may bear
more fruit in the form of an appropriate and meaningful interaction.
Thanks to that, Shaun and Claire became friends.
6. There is a place for sympathy.
Yes, Shaun avoids direct eye contact, shows little emotion and struggles to deal with
people on a personal level.
His neighbor borrowed batteries, and Murphy went the next day to get them back.
Yep, this that really happened...
Moreover, Murphy speaks in a monotonous voice and says exactly what he’s thinking with
zero filter.
Like the time he tells a surgeon that he both admires him and finds him arrogant, and asking
whether he also should be arrogant to become a good doctor.
But the show emphasises that despite all this trouble with emotions, inside he is very sensitive
and empathic as well.
Shaun knows when he’s being mocked, and even if he won’t necessarily show it, that
doesn’t mean he lacks emotion.
His feelings can be easily hurt because human connections are important to him.
7. A socially isolated life.
Social isolation is a common and real aspect of the autistic experience.
The show, however, takes it to an unbelievable extreme.
It’s not just that Shaun has difficulty connecting with other people and experiences
marginalization as a result.
It’s as if he never even been around people or consumed any sort of popular media.
The way he first communicated with the doctors of his new hospital makes us doubt that he
ever experienced such communication before.
And this cannot be true, due to his credentials and the story behind the character.
This is worsened by the lack of other autistic people in not only the show but the fictional
universe in which it inhabits.
8. Not everything is such a big issue.
It’s been shown in most portrayals of autistic people that the use of headphones can help
to cut down on the auditory overload in the environment around them.
That is also why many may also put their hands over their ears when headphones aren’t available.
While Shaun is seen doing this while approaching a helicopter, he only does it when he’s
directly under its rotor blades.
Beforehand, he informs his colleague Dr. Browne (Antonia Thomas) that he doesn’t actually
mind the noise.
In fact, he seems to welcome it because he’s fascinated with how helicopters work.
His interest in the machinery makes the accompanying noise just part of the package.
This is a great example of how different and unique a type of autism could be, so you should
not generalise before you really get to know an autistic person better.
Hopefully “The Good Doctor” has allowed audiences to learn new ways of thinking about
people who have autism.
And it shows how people with autism can be functional members of society.
Thank you for watching, check out these other great stories from OSSA and subscribe for
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