NBC's "Days of Our Lives" will feature an autism storyline beginning June 24 in a collaboration between the show's head writer Dena Higley and the advocacy group, Autism Speaks.Characters Dr. Lexie Carver (Renee Jones) and Commissioner Abe Carver (James Reynolds) learn their 3-year-old son has autism in the storyline that will continue through the summer.
Head writer Higley and her husband have a child with autism. She says: “We're telling the profound and life-altering story of a child with autism from his parents' point of view. Their pain, their struggle -- and ultimately, their ability to find life-affirming hope in the midst of learning how to live day to day with this disability. This is a personal story for me...as my husband and I have walked in the shoes Abe and Lexie are now about to walk in.”
Alison Singer, Executive Vice President of Communications and Awareness for Autism Speaks, says: “This storyline realistically portrays the emotional trauma that every family faces when a child is diagnosed with autism, yet it also opens a window for viewers to see the hope and achievements that are possible as a family pulls together. We are honored to work with ‘Days of our Lives' and applaud the show's commitment to shine a bright spotlight on the autism crisis and its effects on the whole family."
