Autistic superhero shines on PBS

There’s a new crop of superheroes this summer, but they may need a little seasoning. After all, they’re only in elementary school. The PBS Kids’ animated series “Hero Elementary” is set inside a grade school where a diverse group of four superhero students are learning to master their special powers.

There’s a kid who can fly, but is afraid of heights. There’s a girl with the power to teleport and a boy who creates forcefields of bubbles. Plus there’s a boy with an array of cool gadgets who is on the autism spectrum.

The creators have been subtle about how they’ve portrayed the character of AJ Gadgets, who is on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. AJ doesn’t like loud noises or wet clothes or to be apart from his beloved backpack. But he’s part of the team and always comes to the rescue.

“We feel like there is so much strength in the idea of portraying a kid on the spectrum as just one of the kids and not making a huge deal about his autism,” said Christine Ferraro, who co-created the series with Carol-Lynn Parente. Linda Simensky, head of content at PBS Kids, said she was drawn to AJ’s inclusion and the show’s message of kids solving their own problems.

AJ’s teammates are aware of his needs and preferences and the show’s creators hope the show can teach empathy and normalize the idea that all kids are different. The series, designed for children four to seven, premiered Monday on PBS stations, PBS Kids 24/7 channel and PBS Kids digital platforms.