Actress With Autism Makes History
The holidays have come to a close and with that the holiday movies and specials are gone for another year. A new TV season begins with some old favorites as well as a few new programs that have caught our eye.
The cable network Freeform introduces a new comedy titled Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. After the sudden death of their single father, three siblings, a twenty-five year old brother and two teenage half- sisters, cope with the devastating loss. Feeform said the show will address “navigating autism, budding sexuality, consent, parenthood, adolescence, family and grief” while following a family discovering the “importance of finding happiness in the middle of really difficult moments.”
Kayla Cromer plays Matilda one of the half-sisters. Matilda is a high school senior who is on the autism spectrum. “She is bright, outgoing, curious, and contemplative; if she doesn’t initially understand something, she’ll put in the work to figure it out.”
Everthing’s Gonna Be Okay makes history as the first show to ever cast an actor on the spectrum in a lead role. Kayla disclosed her autism diagnosis this past year at the Freeform Summit. She says “Freeform was opening more doors for diversity. With so many changes happening in the entertainment industry, it’s groundbreaking to be on the spectrum, playing a character on the spectrum.”
“Growing up with autism, as well as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADD, Kayla struggled at school. Taking timed and standardized tests were particularly challenging. “My brain processes differently,” she explains. Everything changed, however, when she was accepted into a private school that specializes in dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Kayla was able to figure out how she learns best — and she is extremely grateful to her parents for finding the right educational fit.”
She still gets thrown off with sarcasm, metaphors and understanding jokes. However, Kayla believes her social skills have improved by being an actress. Initiating conversations and making friends is easier.
The show premiers January 16 with two episodes starting at 8:30 p.m. You can check out the trailer for Everything’s Gonna Be Okay at: https://freeform.go.com/shows/everythings-gonna-be-okay/news
I plan on watching history in the making. Enjoy the show!
