His name is Pablo, he is 5 years old, he loves to draw and is the protagonist of a new English animated series. He is intelligent and very sensitive, often lost in front of people he doesn't know, frightened by crowded parties, upset when he loses an object.
Faced with these problems, Pablo responds with his great imagination: he picks up his pastels and begins to draw his friends Dino, Frullo, Raffa, Tango (and many others), little animals who promptly help him see these obstacles in a completely new way, reversing the initially frightening perspective.
The series, which began in 2017 and has reached over one hundred episodes, was created by English director and producer Gráinne McGuinness, who gathered exclusively people on the autism spectrum (including herself) for the roles of screenwriting and voice acting. A choice that not only restores coherence in the representation of people with disabilities but also strengthens the credibility of the series itself.
The episodes last just 10 minutes and are all introduced by real footage where Pablo faces a problematic situation, then moving into the animated world, rendered with pastel tones and with an uncertain and childlike stroke. The series has the great merit of addressing the theme of autism starting from the sensitivity and point of view of a child, thus offering an opportunity – far too rare in children's products – to make the subject known to the youngest viewers. Pablo is recently available in Italy as well, every day on Rai Yoyo and on demand on Rai Play.