Special Needs Caregiver Tips and Strategies Print TV Series Featuring Characters or Performers With Disabilities Written by facebook twitter linkedin Written by Terri Mauro Terri Mauro is the author of "50 Ways to Support Your Child's Special Education" and contributor to the Parenting Roundabout podcast. Learn about our editorial policy Terri Mauro Updated on March 28, 2019 More in Special Needs Caregiver Tips and Strategies Therapy and Social Involvement A big part of raising awareness and acceptance for people with disabilities is making their stories part of popular culture. Check out our list of TV series that have had regularly featured characters or performers with special needs. Be sure to check out reviews before watching because they aren't all kid-friendly. Alphas Show: AlphasNetwork: SyFyOn the Air: 2011-2012Character of Interest: Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright), a young man with autism whose abilities as a "human antenna" make him valuable to a crime-fighting team of people with extraordinary abilities. The Big Bang Theory Show: The Big Bang TheoryNetwork: CBSOn the Air: 2007-2019Character of Interest: Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), a theoretical physicist and all-around quirky guy who talks about and displays many symptoms of Asperger syndrome. The 8 Best Books for Shy Kids of 2019 Bones Show: BonesNetwork: FOXOn the Air: 2005-2017Character of Interest: Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a forensic anthropologist who looks to a lot of viewers like a person with Asperger syndrome. Breaking Bad Show: Breaking BadNetwork: AMCOn the Air: 2008-2013Character of Interest: Walter White, Jr. (RJ Mitte), son of the chemistry teacher turned meth maker, who, like the actor who plays him, has cerebral palsy. The Bridge Show: The BridgeNetwork: FXOn the Air: 2013-2014Character of Interest: Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger), an El Paso police detective with Asperger syndrome. Covert Affairs Show: Covert AffairsNetwork: USAOn the Air: 2010-2014Character of Interest: Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham), a blind CIA analyst who's a tech whiz, a sidekick for the newbie agent played by Piper Perabo, and a chick magnet. Glee Show: GleeNetwork: FoxOn the Air: 2009-2015Characters of Interest: Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), a glee-club member who uses a wheelchair; Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter), a cheerleader with Down syndrome. Grey's Anatomy Show: Grey's AnatomyNetwork: ABCOn the Air: 2005-Character of Interest: Dr. Virginia Dixon (Mary McDonnell), a cardiac surgeon with Asperger syndrome who appeared in several episodes of the series' sixth season. King and Maxwell Show: King and MaxwellNetwork: TNTOn the Air: 2013Character of Interest: Edgar Roy (Ryan Hurst), described on the show's site as "a high-functioning autistic savant who specializes in patterns and numerical sequences." Legit Show: LegitNetwork: FXOn the Air: 2013-2014Character of Interest: Billy Nugent (DJ Qualls), a man with severe muscular dystrophy sprung from a nursing home by a trying-to-do-good friend. Life Goes On Show: Life Goes OnNetwork: ABCOn the Air: 1989-1993Character of Interest: Corky Thatcher (Chris Burke), a high-school student with Down syndrome and a member of the family the series focused on. The Middle Show: The MiddleNetwork: ABCOn the Air: 2009-2018Character of Interest: Brick (Atticus Shaffer), youngest child of the Heck family, a quirky little fellow whose odd ways and habit of repeating things in a whisper has some viewers wondering if he's on the autism spectrum. Whether the character is or not, the show remains of special-needs interest for Shaffer, who has osteogenesis imperfecta. Modern Family Show: Modern FamilyNetwork: ABCOn the Air: 2009-Actor of Interest: Sarah Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy, revealed in May 2012 that she was diagnosed with kidney dysplasia at age 9 and received a kidney transplant from her father in April 2012, at age 21. Parenthood Show: ParenthoodNetwork: NBCOn the Air: 2010- 2015Character of Interest: Max Braverman (Max Burkholder), a member of the youngest generation of the sprawling Braverman clan and, as of the show's first episode, a child diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. The Secret Life of the American Teenager Show: The Secret Life of the American TeenagerNetwork: ABC FamilyOn the Air: 2008-2013Special-Needs Connection: Tom Bowman (Luke Zimmerman), a young man with Down syndrome who's more level-headed than most of the show's sex-obsessed characters. St. Elsewhere Show: St. ElsewhereNetwork: NBCOn the Air: 1982-1988Special-Needs Connection: Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen), the autistic son of hospital honcho Dr. Donald Westphall, who in the show's last episode is apparently revealed to have dreamed up the entire series. Switched at Birth Show: Switched at BirthNetwork: ABC FamilyOn the Air: 2011- 2017Character of Interest: Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc), a hearing-impaired teenager who finds out she went home with the wrong family as an infant. The show features other hearing-impaired characters and did one episode entirely in American Sign Language (ASL). The West Wing Show: The West WingNetwork: NBCOn the Air: 1999-2006Character of Interest: Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin), a pollster whose deafness was used to comedic (though never at her expense) and dramatic effect, but was never the sum of her character. The 9 Best Children’s Books of 2019 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet. Updated September 2015. Roy M, Dillo W, Emrich HM, Ohlmeier MD. Asperger's syndrome in adulthood. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009;106(5):59–64. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2009.0059 National Institute of Childhood Health and Human Development. Cerebral Palsy. Updated December 1, 2016. National Eye Institute. Blindness Data and Statistics. Updated July 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts about Down Syndrome. Updated November 1, 2018. Child Health and Human Development. Muscular Dystrophy. December 1, 1016. Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center. Osteogenesis Imperfecta Overview. Updated December 2015. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Kidney Dysplasia. Updated July 2015. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. American Sign Language. Updated May 8, 2019. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness.