November 11, 2024
Source: Washington Post.
“Carl the Collector” is aimed at 4-to-8-year-olds and was designed to celebrate the variety and potential of neurodivergent kids.
A new animated series for young children premiering [November] 14 will be PBS Kids’ first to feature main characters with autism, the network reports.
“Carl the Collector,” aimed at 4-to-8-year-olds, was designed to celebrate the variety and potential of neurodivergent kids, and to expand perspectives of autism. The show follows the adventures of avid collector Carl, a raccoon who has autism, and friends including an empathetic beaver, a squirrel with a tree nut allergy and a hypersensitive fox, who is also autistic.
As Carl expands his many collections, he and his friends solve problems in Fuzzytown while navigating sensory sensitivities, anxiety and challenges of self-expression.
The show was created by Zachariah OHora, an illustrator and author best known for children’s books such as “The Not So Quiet Library” and the best-selling “Wolfie the Bunny.”
In a press release, OHora says the show “spotlights neurodiverse characters while exploring and celebrating the entire spectrum of humanity.”
“We hope Carl and his friends will encourage empathy and understanding, and ultimately show that everyone benefits when we recognize and embrace our differences,” says OHora, who is also the show’s executive producer.
Those differences are reflected in the show’s production team and advisory staff, which includes individuals with autism, experts on autism and special education, and parenting consultants.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 36 U.S. children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, which occurs in “all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.”
Presented in English and Spanish, the show’s first episodes involve Carl’s collections of plushies, bouncy balls, lint dinosaurs and fake mustaches.
News source: washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/11/10/cartoon-autism-spectrum-carl-collector
English