Faculty member advises the first PBS Kids show headlined by a character with autism
At first I thought the creators had taken inspiration from me, because in the reel, the character of Carl was wearing the same kind of clothing I wear, and like me, he was interested in watches and bicycles. But I found out they鈥檇 never heard of me when they were putting the character together. They鈥檇 just done their research.”
Carl, the hero of the PBS Kids show Carl the Collector, is a young raccoon who loves collecting objects and playing with his animal friends. Carl also has autism, making him the network鈥檚 first-ever lead on the spectrum. The show follows Carl as he plans sleepovers, tries to keep his room clean and hashes out disagreements with friends, providing viewers with an up-close look at how people with autism navigate everyday life. 鈥淭he show did it right from the very beginning,鈥� said Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor of education at Adelphi, who served as an autism adviser on Carl. 鈥淚ts creators worked hard to meaningfully involve the autism community and commit to authentic representation.鈥�
Dr. Shore, who is autistic, has traveled the world as a researcher, educator and speaker, appearing before audiences across more than 50 countries. With Carl, he added creative consultant to his r茅sum茅. 鈥淚 had never consulted on a show before,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut the creators reached out to me out of the blue.鈥� Initially, Dr. Shore was asked to share his thoughts on a promo reel. 鈥淎t first, I thought the creators had taken inspiration from me, because in the reel, the character of Carl was wearing the same kind of clothing I wear, and like me, he was interested in watches and bicycles. But I found out they鈥檇 never heard of me when they were putting the character together. They鈥檇 just done their research.鈥�
Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor at Adelphi
An Integral Part of the Process
Dr. Shore was involved throughout the entire creative process for each episode, from the initial premise to the final rough cut. At each stage of development, he let the creators know if the actions, gestures, speech patterns or reactions of a character with autism did not ring true. Sometimes, he found, even the tiniest adjustment could make all the difference. 鈥淔or instance, they would have Carl saying, 鈥楾he ice cream social is going to happen in four days.鈥� I told them an autistic person might actually say, 鈥楩our days, 11 hours and 56 minutes.鈥� A lot of people with autism are very exacting.鈥�
Dr. Shore鈥檚 expertise鈥攁nd personal experience鈥攕haped a number of storytelling decisions. When Carl decides to tell a friend why he鈥檚 behaving in a certain way, Dr. Shore looked to his own 鈥渇our-step autism disclosure protocol鈥� for inspiration, which he notes the team put to 鈥済ood use.鈥� He also advocated for Carl to stim鈥攔epetitive behaviors, movements or sounds used to manage emotions or self-soothe鈥攚ith his fingers in response to specific triggers.
Other stims, such as pacing and jumping on a trampoline, help map out Carl鈥檚 thought processes for an audience who may not be familiar with autistic cognition. In one scene in which Carl must make a decision, the show takes viewers inside his brain, dramatizing its inner workings. 鈥淓ven if people watching can鈥檛 immediately relate to Carl, they might gain some insight into how a person with autism thinks through something,鈥� Dr. Shore said. 鈥淭hen they can generalize that information to better support the people in their life who are on the spectrum.鈥�
Helping to Shape Carl’s Crew
Carl isn鈥檛 the only autistic character in Carl the Collector. When the show introduced a second character who has autism, a fox named Lotta, who is hypersensitive to loud sounds and strong smells, Dr. Shore 鈥渁dopted鈥� her, too. There鈥檚 also Paolo, a panda with autism, who is nonspeaking and communicates with a tablet. Together, these three characters challenge the misconception that not all autistic people can talk鈥攁nd that those who don鈥檛 talk don鈥檛 still have something to say鈥攐r that all individuals with autism tend to behave in one single way.
It鈥檚 work that Dr. Shore is proud to have a hand in, especially on television screens nationwide. 鈥淚 often say that when you鈥檝e met one autistic person, you鈥檝e met one autistic person,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檙e fundamentally different from neurotypical people, either. We鈥檙e all more similar than we are different.鈥�
Read more in the 2025 issue of Academic & Creative Research Magazine, where we highlight the innovation and imagination shaping Adelphi鈥檚 academic community.
About Our Faculty
Stephen Shore, EdD, is a clinical associate professor in the School of Education. Dr. Shore is on the board of directors of Autism Speaks, is a frequent speaker on the topic of autism, and the author of College for Students With Disabilities and Understanding Autism for Dummies. His work focuses on helping persons with autism and other conditions lead fulfilling and productive lives to their greatest potential.