Carl The Collector Introduces A New Non-Speaking Character Who Uses A Speech Tablet

If you’ve never watched PBS Kids’ Carl the Collector, you’re missing out. The series is set in Fuzzytown and follows Carl, the titular raccoon who has autism, and his special interest is in creating collections. It’s the network’s first series to star a character on the spectrum, and include more neurodiverse characters around them, like Carl’s bestie Lotta the fox who is also autistic. And on Monday, Carl is going to connect with a new furry friend representing yet another kind of kid with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — and Scary Mommy has the exclusive first look.

ASD looks different for everyone, and Carl the Collector does a wonderful job of showing just how much diversity exists on the autism spectrum. In a new episode airing Monday, October 13, Carl will meet Paolo, a new friend who loves outer space and collecting things just as much as Carl does. Paolo has autism and is “largely non-speaking/preverbal,” according to a press release from PBS, so he communicates with the help of a speech tablet (also known as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device). Paolo is voiced by Odin Frost, a voice actor who is autistic and non-speaking, and uses an AAC device himself.

This episode, titled “A New Friend,” is the first time a character with an AAC is being represented on a PBS Kids show. It’s clear so much thought went into Paolo’s introduction, but that’s to be expected from PBS Kids and the show’s staff of neurodiverse writers, actors, production crew, and advisors. Through Carl and Paolo’s interaction, viewers get a look at how AAC devices look and work, and even a little etiquette lesson from Paolo — he’s typing! Give him a chance to respond, please. Here’s a closer look at Paolo’s AAC device compared to the real thing:

“There’s a saying, ‘If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met just one autistic person,’ which is something this show authentically demonstrates in every episode,” said Carl the Collector staff writer Ava X. Rigelhaupt in a press release announcing the show’s debut last year. “I am hopeful that Carl the Collector will expand perspectives of autism and neurodiversity, creating a better understanding and further acceptance for future generations.”

While more neurodivergent characters are being written into kids’ media, Carl the Collector has one of the most inclusive casts of characters I’ve seen, especially now that Paolo is joining the fun. AAC users on screen have been very few and far between outside of ABC’s Speechless and Disney’s Out of My Mind. But Paolo is here to fix that for Carl’s target audience of kids ages 4 to 8.

Carl and Paolo’s episode kicks off a full week of brand new Carl the Collector episodes, culminating in a full half-hour Halloween special where Carl can’t wait to trick-or-treat with all this friends and collect as many candy wrappers as possible in one night. We can’t wait to tune in.