Thomas and Friends Franchise Introduces Autistic Character

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  

A release from Mattel:

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today the introduction of Bruno, the first autistic character in the iconic Thomas & Friends franchise. Mattel Television developed Bruno in collaboration with respected organizations including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Easterseals Southern California, as well as writers and spokespeople with autism including Daniel Share-Strom and Aaron Likens. Voiced by Chuck Smith, an autistic actor, the new series regular will make his debut on the Season 26 premiere of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go on Monday, September 12 at 8:30 am ET/PT on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and on September 17 at 8:50 am ET/PT on Treehouse and STACKTV in Canada.

Bruno is a joyful, pun-making brake car. He is great at his job and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes—a vital role in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go. Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world. Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine, and knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor. Bruno has stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious. Bruno’s best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him for who he is, just as he loves them back. Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model. Together with key partners, Mattel carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child in the real world.

“The most important aspect of Bruno's development was getting autistic input throughout the process of creating the character and his interactions with his world,” said Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). “It was great to be able to contribute to that as part of a team of consultants from ASAN. Autistic people have been involved in all aspects of creating Bruno, from us as consultants to writers on the show and Bruno's voice actor—this makes Bruno ring true as an autistic character. I hope that Bruno will provide viewers with meaningful examples of inclusion in everyday life."

Experts from ASAN and Easterseals Southern California, alongside the creative and writing team at Mattel Television, leveraged years of experience dedicated to the understanding of autism to respectfully and artistically create an accurate, on-screen representation. Through their hard work, dedication and care, Bruno opens the door for global audiences in a way Thomas & Friends has never done before.

“Our commitment and contributions alongside Mattel have ensured that an honest version of Bruno is what kids and families across the world will experience,” said Dr. Paula Pompa Craven, Chief Clinical Officer at Easterseals Southern California. “Audiences will be able to see the real-life experiences of an autistic child through Bruno, including opportunities to learn and grow alongside him as he demonstrates his ability to give and receive support from his friends.”

While Bruno thoughtfully reflects the traits and preferences of some autistic people, one animated character could never encompass the real-life experience of every autistic person. A key character within the Thomas & Friends franchise, Bruno’s introduction will span across all content with appearances in a YouTube series, music album, the Thomas & Friends Storytime podcast, the upcoming Mystery of Lookout Mountain special, and consumer products set to debut later this year.

“Bruno’s introduction organically embraces a global audience that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in children’s programming,” said Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and Production at Mattel. “So much care and thought went into the development of his character, and we can’t wait for audiences to meet and love Bruno as much as we do.”

Autism Acceptance Month

From the preface to The Politics of Autism.

A major theme of this book is that just about everything concerning autism is subject to argument. There is not even any consensus on what one should call people who have autism and other disabilities. “In the autism community, many self-advocates and their allies prefer terms such as `Autistic,’ `Autistic person,’ or `Autistic individual’ because we understand autism as an inherent part of an individual’s identity,” writes blogger Lydia Brown.[i] Other writers prefer “people-first” language (e.g., “persons with autism”) since it puts the persons ahead of the disability and describes what they have, not who they are.[ii] For the sake of stylistic variety, this book uses both kinds of language, even though this approach will satisfy neither side. I can only say that I mean no offense.

 Christopher Banks, CEO of the Autism Society, at The Hill:

This year, the Autism Society of America is working with partner organizations to advocate for a formal designation to make April Autism Acceptance Month, putting into words the value of inclusive policies, practices and support services for those affected by autism.

A formal designation to make April Autism Acceptance Month in the United States is a stake in the ground. It says, ‘we will commit to a national effort to ensure individuals with autism are integrated into our social, political and economic fabric.’

Autism rights is a human rights issue. The federal designation makes clear that the citizens of the United States of America who are members of the autism community are entitled to the same rights and benefits as anyone else in our country.

From the Autism Society:

Autism community advocates across the country have a long-standing history of using the term “acceptance” as a means of more fully integrating those 1 in every 54 Americans living with autism into our social fabric. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has been framing April as Autism Acceptance Month since 2011, stating “Acceptance of autism as a natural condition in the human experience is necessary for real dialogue to occur.”

Other groups that have been using ‘acceptance’ through the month of April include the Administration for Community Living, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Autistic Women and Non-Binary Network, Easter Seals, First Place AZ, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and The Arc.

 

Discrimination Lawsuit

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families, including discrimination.

At the Associated Press, Michael Casey reports on a federal lawsuit claiming that Party City discriminated against a New Hampshire woman when a sales manager learned that she is autistic.

The woman, Ashley Waxman, was allegedly denied a job at a Party City in Nashua, New Hampshire. She filed a complaint with the EEOC alleging the store had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The act prohibits employers from discriminating based on disability and requires that employees with disabilities be offered a reasonable accommodation, including the use of a job coach.

A 9/19 release from EEOC provide more detail:

 Party City Corporation violated federal law by failing to hire a qualified employee with a disability at its Nashua, N.H. location, after it became aware that she required a job coach as a reasonable accommodation for her disability, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC's complaint, the disabled applicant, then a senior in high school who was on the autism spectrum and suffered from severe anxiety, had been receiving services from Easter Seals of New Hampshire for a number of years to build up her self-confidence, including around working and applying for a job. One of these Easter Seals employees went with her in October 2017 to apply for a sales associate job with Party City during its busy season. The applicant received a job interview, but when the hiring manager discovered that the woman accompanying her was not her mother and instead was a job coach, the hiring manager's attitude changed dramatically.

The EEOC's lawsuit further alleges that the hiring manager told the job coach that Party City had hired people "like that" (people with disabilities with job coaches) in the past and that it had not gone well. The hiring manager made disparaging comments about those individuals. Although both the applicant and the job coach explained to the hiring manager that the applicant had been successful shadowing others in previous retail jobs, as well as in a volunteer role at a day care center, the hiring manager was uninterested in either the applicant's abilities or in the limited role the job coach would play. The hiring manager repeatedly tried to cut the interview short by telling the job coach in a patronizing tone, "thank you for bringing her here," while the applicant was still in the room. The hiring manager also stated, in the applicant's presence, that the Party City employee who had encouraged the applicant to apply would hire anyone, and would "even hire an ant."

After Party City failed to hire the applicant because of her disability, Party City hired six sales associates in the days immediately after the applicant's interview. For at least two of the hires, it was their first job: one was a 16-year-old and the other was a high school graduate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") prohibits employers from discriminating based on disability and imposes a requirement that employees with disabilities be provided a reasonable accommodation, absent undue hardship on the employer. One of these accommodations can be the use of a job coach.

The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire (EEOC v. Party City Corporation, Civil Action No. 1:18-cv-838) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief. The agency's litigation efforts will be led by Senior Trial Attorney Mark Penzel.

"Federal law requires employers to consider disabled job applicants based on their abilities, not on demeaning stereotypes," said Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC's New York District Office. "Party City completely failed to do so here."

EEOC's New York district director, Kevin Berry, added, "Employers cannot refuse to offer a reasonable accommodation required by law, absent undue hardship. Here, the job coach, who would only have helped cue the applicant with her job tasks as she learned her job and for whom Party City would not have had to pay, was a completely reasonable accommodation that would have caused it no hardship at all."

EEOC's New York District Office oversees New York, Northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the commission is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.

OT

Stories about autism therapy typically focus on ABA.  But OT is an important part of the story too,  This story in the Chicago Tribune offers some detail:

Since she works with children, Cindy DeRuiter's says her days are always memorable. Her patients are sure to say or do something funny, unexpected, or heartwarming. An occupational therapist at Easter Seals Autism Therapeutic School'€™s Chicago site, DeRuiter, 26, works with children with autism and their families, delivering services in a special-education-school setting.

Her goal is to help kids participate more fully in activities related to school, including development of sensory and emotional regulation skills, handwriting ability, vocational skills, self-care and hygiene, task modification and adaptation. She may address environmental modification of classrooms, and consults with parents, teachers and other professionals to help her patients succeed in school.

She especially enjoys witnessing moments of accomplishment.

"One experience that sticks in my mind was helping a child learn to pedal his tricycle and to jump for the first time," DeRuiter recalled. "It absolutely made him light up with joy."

It can be hard to define occupational therapy (OT) because the field is so broad, DeRuiter said. She sees OTs as health care professionals who help rehabilitate people who've experienced injury, illness, or disability. Therapy focuses on mastering everyday activities (or "occupations") that help patients be more independent, productive and happy.

Easter Seals Apology

In the world of autism, terminology is controversial.  The Age of Autism is displaying  a recent email from Easter Seals:

Autism and the Health Care Decision

Autism Speaks issued a statement on the Supreme Court's decision in the health care case:

"The need for people with autism to get good quality care is Autism Speaks' first priority. Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act provides clarity to our efforts to achieve that mission. It should be noted that the decision does not affect the autism insurance reform laws enacted by 31 states.

"The Affordable Care Act requires all states to establish a set of 10 'essential health benefits,' one of which is 'Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment.' Congress specifically added 'including behavioral health treatment' to address autism therapies, such as Applied Behavior Analysis.

"For the past several months, Autism Speaks has raised concerns with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is overseeing the implementation of the ACA, that the requirement for behavioral health treatment coverage is not being pursued. Congress required such treatment be included as an essential health benefit and the U.S. Supreme Court has held the act constitutional. It is now the obligation of HHS to respect the intent of Congress by insisting all states include behavioral health treatment, such as ABA for autism."

You can learn more about Autism Speaks and the Affordable Care Act here.

From the Autism Society:

Today the Supreme Court issued its decision on the Affordable Care Act. The decision of the Court is a part of our nation's founding principles of checks and balances among our government institutions.

Regardless of today’s decision, the reality is that the problems faced by individuals living with autism and their families remain unsolved. We are continuing to struggle to access the services we need. Never mind that more than 30 states have recently required insurance providers to cover certain autism-related treatments and services. In many of these same states, individuals with autism are denied basic coverage. In fact, with ongoing cutbacks in government funding, more and more of us are using limited funds to pay for therapies, personal assistance or other necessities, and often times we cannot afford basic insurance for preventative care.

Often, when individuals receive medical coverage, they lack assistance for behavioral treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which for some individuals can be more necessary to improving outcomes than medical approaches. For those of us more significantly affected by autism, treatment can cost up to $72,000 per year. This cost is difficult for many families, particularly in times of need.

The Autism Society believes all governmental and non-governmental entities must understand that any health-care reform must not preclude individuals with developmental disabilities from life-changing therapies. In addition, for health-care to be effective, autism must be viewed as a whole-body condition that requires medical and non-medical treatments. While we applaud the federal and state continued support of Medicaid and Medicare, we need to do more

From Easter Seals:

Easter Seals applauds the U.S. Supreme Court on its Affordable Care Act (ACA) ruling. The Court’s ruling ensures the continuation of the law’s policies that protect access to private health insurance for children with pre-existing conditions and young adult dependent children up to the age of 26, bar lifetime health insurance caps, and leaves in place the essential policies that will take effect in 2014. Easter Seals believes access to appropriate and high quality health care services is essential for people with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Simply put, the ACA is critical to millions of families living with disabilities.

Autism Public Service Announcements

Easter Seals Report on Early Intervention

Easter Seals yesterday issued news release detailing a new report on early intervention:

Easter Seals this morning released a new report Our Nation’s Children at Risk: A State-by-State Report on Early Intervention during its 2011 International Convention currently being held in Washington, D.C. In meetings with Members of Congress on The Hill today, more than 300 Easter Seals volunteers, staff and families with disabilities will share both the report’s findings and a petition with nearly 40,000 signatures urging legislators to invest in young children.

The new report details how well each state takes care of its youngest children with disabilities and delays. The unfortunate news: infants and toddlers in nearly every state continue to fall behind, many will never catch up.

“With the right investment in treatment and therapy before the age of five, we can ensure every child in America can enter school ready to learn,” says Katy Neas, senior vice president, government relations, Easter Seals and Make the First Five Count spokesperson.

...

The Easter Seals report highlights some bright spots. States including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Wyoming, New York and New Hampshire serve more than 4 percent of their population through the Part C program of IDEA. These six states reach far more children with disabilities and delays than other states, with more young children able to access the critical services and supports they need early in life.

“These states are on the right track, and should serve as an example to others, but we know it’s just the beginning. We have to convince state and federal policy makers about the value of investing in the Part C program,” adds Neas.

This is especially true in states that serve fewer than 2 percent of their population including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Montana, Missouri, Arkansas and the District of Columbia.

On the Hill: Lobbying for ASD Adults

Disability Scoop reports:

A group of autism advocates took to Capitol Hill Thursday morning pushing an ambitious new agenda to better serve adults on the spectrum.

In a series of policy recommendations, advocates from a consortium made up of a dozen organizations including Autism Speaks and Easter Seals highlighted the needs of adults with autism when it comes to learning life skills, accessing qualified support providers and obtaining funding that’s flexible.

Organizers of the advocacy effort known as Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism estimate that more than 500,000 individuals with the disorder will enter adulthood in the next 10 years. They are urging Congress to pass reforms within the next year to meet the needs they’ve identified.

Easter Seals

On Easter Monday, it is useful to remember that the largest nonprofit provider of autism services is ... Easter Seals.

The organization lists a variety of legislative initiatives it has supported, including the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, the forerunner of IDEA.

A short video: