Television and Film that include individuals with Down Syndrome.

If you have any additions to the list please email margie@dsala.org with the information; include the name of the series, name of episode, episode number if you have it, the date it first aired and the name of the actor with Down syndrome on the show. Partial information will be accepted.

• Television Series
• Television Movies
• Feature Films
• Productions in Progress
• In the News

Television Series

The Secret Life of an American Teenager
ABC Channel
Series premiere, July 1, 2008
Luke Zimmerman plays recurring character Tom Bowman.

So You Think You Can Dance
#3.4 05-28-08
Brett Banford.

Nip Tuck
#3.8 - Tommy Bolton- 11-08-05 Blair Williamson

The View
10-20-05 Sujeet Desai, Carrie Burgeron

Supernanny
- Webb Family- 09-23-05 Paige Webb

Strong Medicine
#6.11 - Broken Hearts- 09-11-05 Andrea Friedman
#2.7 - Impaired- 08-26-01 Brandon Bauer

Judging Amy
#6.21 - Getting Out- 04-26-05 Gabriel Douglas

Kingdome Hospital
2004 Mini Series 13 episodes Brandon Bauer, Jennifer Cunningham

The Guardian
#3.14 - All is Mended- 02-10-04 Blair Williamson

Curb Your Enthusiasm
#4.3 - The Blind Date- 01-18-04 Brad Silverman

ER
#14.10 - 300 Patients- 12-06-07 Nicholas Weiland
#10.16 - Forgive and Forget- 02-26-04 Christine Young
#9.18 - Finders Keepers- 04-03-03 Andrea Friedman
#8.20 - The Letter- 05-02-02 Chris Burke
#4.11 - Think Warm Thoughts- 01-08-98 Kristine Johnson
#3.16 - Faith- 02-20-97 Louise Brown & Blair Williamson

CSI
#3.8 - Snuff- 11-21-02 Blair Williamson

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
#3.22 - Competence- 05-10-02 Andrea Friedman

The Division
#2.12 - Illusions- 04-28-02 Andrea Friedman, Chris Burke

Touched By An Angel
#7.15 - Winners Losers and Leftovers- 02-25-01 Robert Jackson, M.E. Powell
#4.2 - Great Expectations- 09-28-97 Chris Burke
#3.28 - An Angel by any Other Name- 05-10-97 Chris Burke, Andrea Friedman, Jason Kingsley

7th Heaven
#4.18 - Hoop Dreams- 04-10-00 Andrea Friedman, Mindy Zazanis

Third Watch
#1.12 - Journey to the Himalayas- 01-24-00 Ashley Wolfe

Family Law
#1.2 - Damages- 09-27-99 Robert Jackson

Walker Texas Ranger
#7.13 - Special Witness- 01-16-99 Andrea Friedman

Chicago Hope
#4.6 - The Lung & the Restless 11-05-97 Andrea Friedman

Promised Land
#1.13 - Independence Day- 01-14-97 Chris Burke

The Commish
#3.14 - Dog Days- 02-05-94 Chris Burke

Baywatch
#4.11 - The Child Inside- 11-22-93 Andrea Friedman

Quantum Leap
#5.22 - Mirror Image- 05-04-93 Brad Silverman
#5.7 - Deliver Us From Evil- 11-10-92 Brad Silverman
#3.22 - Shock Theatre- 05-22-91 Brad Silverman
#2.8 - Jimmy- 11-22-89 Brad Silverman

Life Goes On (all four seasons include series regular Chris Burke)
#1.1 - Pilot Episode- 09-21-89 Chris Burke, Ryan Davis
#2.20 - Arthur- 04-07-91 Chris Burkee, David McFarlane
#3.19 - Corkey' s Romance- 03-29-92 Chris Burke, Andrea Friedman

Buck James
#7108 - Silent Partners- 1987 Deborah Henrickson

Street Legal
#2.12 - Romeo & Carol- 12-13-87 David McFarlane

Airwolf
#3.3 - And a Child Shall Lead- 10-12-85 Ricky Wittman

The Fall Guy
#4.12 - The Winner- 12-19-84 Jason Kingsley

CHiPs
#6.6 - Something Special- 22-21-82 Ricky Wittman

Television Movies

2008 - The Memory Keeper' s Daughter- Lifetime Krystal Nausbaum
2001 - Jewel- CBS Ashley Wolfe
2000 - Flowers for Algernon- CBS David McFarlane
1997 - Smudge- TNT Andrea Friedman
1995 - My Antonia- USA Blair Williamson
1992 - Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted- NBC Chris Burke, K.C. Clarizo
1987 - The Kid Who Wouldn' t Quit- ABC Brad Silverman
1987 - Kids Like These- (11-08-87) CBS Ted Polito
1987 - Celebration Family- ABC Mindy Zazanis
1982 - The Kid from Nowhere- NBC Ricky Wittman
1977 - This is My Son- NBC

Feature Films

2006 - Unknown- The Weinstein Co. Blair Williamson
2005 - The Ringer- Fox Eddie Barbanell, John Taylor
2003 - Afterlife- Soda Pictures (UK) Paula Sage
2001 - I Am Sam- Alliance Atlantis Brad Silverman
1996 - The Eighth Day- Gramercy Pictures Pascal Duquenne
1988 - The Seventh Sign" Columbia TriStar John Taylor

Productions in Progress

Rapid Eye

In the News

February 27, 2006

WROC TV News, Rochester N.Y., showed the amazing video of a kid with autism who did the unthinkable at a recent Greece Athena basketball game. He scored 20 points in the last four minutes. Dave Yates sat down with this young star about what seems like a fairy tale dream. This is worth celebrating no matter what disability you support or affects your life.

http://www.wroctv.com/sports/story.asp?id=10211

"A Brother's Survey Touches a Nerve In Abortion Fight"

Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2005

"Earlier this year, Brian Skotko, a student at Harvard Medical School, published papers in two academic journals, based on a survey of more than 1,000 mothers. The survey asked an unusual question: How were they told that their child had Down syndrome?

One woman said that after her baby was born in 2000, "the doctor flat out told my husband that this could have been prevented… at an earlier stage." Of 141 women who learned through prenatal testing, many said they felt urged to terminate the pregnancies. One said that after learning her amniocentesis results, the doctor told her "our child would never be able to read, write or count change.""
Click here for full article.

"New Hope for Treating Down Syndrome"

Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2005

"For the families of individuals with Down syndrome, one of the most frustrating aspects of the condition is the impaired ability to communicate and express oneself. But now, doctors and researchers believe they have discovered ways to improve some of these symptoms."
Click here for full article.