Lynette Louise holding her brain in Israel
People are talking about Israel. Many are passionate and opinionated.
I’m certain may of these people live in Israel or have spent a lot of time in that part of the world. I’m certain many know people who are living there.
I’m also certain many of these people have no idea, no experience, no ties to the place, yet are insistent on their opinions.
As parents, we’ve experienced this. As parents where there are uncommon challenges or disabilities we have especially experienced this.
This “people voicing opinions about our situation” thing,
These are things I’m thinking about after being given the gift that is season three of FIX IT IN FIVE with THE BRAIN BROAD – the award winning international autism docuseries that originally aired on The Autism Channel.
What a journey!
In season three we travel with Lynette Louise (The Brain Broad) and her crew to Israel.
One of the great pleasures in this show is the travel.
Season one – Kampala, Uganda
Season two – San Francisco, USA
Season three– Bet Shemesh, Israel
FIX IT IN FIVE is a special style of travel series because the show is ultimately about helping families with at least one member who is on the autism spectrum, who also has at least one other co-occurring challenge; it is a show about behavior and bioplay techniques that create positive changes regardless of culture or economic position. About the brain science that remains true and malleable regardless of religion or family history.
Hence, we are invited into a family home for five days. We are privy to intimate fears and hopes as well as daily routines. Traveling this way feels more real, more authentic, more like actually being in the place.
So, it was extra interesting to me, a person who has never been anywhere in or around Israel, to have access to the third season. To spend time with Shmuel and his big, beautiful family in their small apartment home.
It does not take long to adore this family. The first episode (released and available on YouTube) is a two-part episode, but we are captivated long before we’ve even begun to feel fully settled in our seats.
Shmuel is a thirteen-year-old autistic boy with an energy that lights up the screen, and he likes being on screen! His thrill at getting to know Lynette, and her joy in getting to know him, is a delight to witness. At the same time the love and struggles of mom and dad – both of whom are impressively candid and significantly different from each other – reaches into our hearts, validating our own experiences while teaching us to understand new ones.
As a full fledged #FixitinFiver myself, I was not surprised by how easy it was to fall in love with this family. It has happened every season. I was a little surprised, however, to notice how different it felt having a dad on the show. Seasons one and two were single-mom homes, but season three is a two-parent family with six kids. I freaking loved it! The addition of dad, who struggles with such different things than mom, brings an energy that wasn’t present in previous seasons.
It also brought a new style of questions and answers.
The lessons that Lynette teaches the family, and us as an audience, are presented a little differently in this season, which was unexpectedly wonderful. Unexpected because I already loved the way the lessons were taught in the previous seasons, but the change was refreshing.
Because both mom and dad are teachers, the lessons on behavior, brain science, and bioplay, are presented in a more familiar for learning style. It’s not drastically different, but it’s different.
Shmuel and his family practice responding differently to each other rather than scripting, in order to practice thinking differently and fostering a more real connection. They consider the concept of practicing social skills over academic learning. They are introduced to concepts that challenge traditions without disrespecting them. They adjust their behavioral environment.
Environment is everything. We learn this brilliantly in every season of FIX IT IN FIVE.
Our environment is made of many factors. Some we can control, others we cannot. This is the beauty of what we learn with Lynette in this international series. We learn it and we watch it. We see, by being there in the home with Lynette and each family, how the consistent concepts are adjusted to suit different needs and desires; different challenges and goals.
Ultimately, this is a powerful way to grasp the core concepts in Lynette’s teachings.
Everyone is different - every family, every individual, every environment.
The people and places change; the core lessons stay the same.
Please, if you have any interest in autism, parenting, and/or Israel, watch season three of FIX IT IN FIVE with THE BRAIN BROAD. Episode one is available now and a new episode will be released on YouTube each Monday in Sept 2025.
I won’t pretend watching will give you the right opinions to have about Israel or special needs parenting (wouldn’t it be neat if there was such a thing) but you will be more informed; less ignorant.
Along the way you will also be entertained, educated, and inspired.
