Characters With Disabilities

[Alexis]

Do you believe Jodi's portrayal of characters with disabilities is accurate? I'm specifically interested in Jacob in House Rules and Willow in Handle With Care. I'm less familiar with OI than I am with Asperger's.

I've read reviews in which Jodi has been criticised for her portrayal of Jacob as being too extreme. Reviewers point out that individuals diagnosed with Asperger's do not present with all the symptoms Jacob presented with in House Rules. Not having interacted with individuals with Asperger's on a regular basis, I can't comment on the accuracy of the reviewers' comments. My knowledge of OI is much less than that of Asperger's so I'm unsure of her accuracy, or lack thereof, in her portrayal of Willow.

I'm interested in what others think.

Alexis

[Katherine]

Hi Alexis, thanks for posting. I have seen YouTube videos of/by people with OI and their families. I think her portrayal of that disability was accurate. I don't know anyone with Asperger's or OI, but I have seen TV documentaries about autism in general and/or Asperger's. I know people with autism who are quite severely affected by it and others who are less affected. I have a copy of House Rules, just not read it yet so I'll answer you better when I have. The only other reference of Asperger's I have is the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. If you haven't read it, I'd suggest you take a look.

I myself have Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus and am a wheelchair user. It would be great if she had characters with those disabilities.