Who Gets to Tell the Story? Disability, Hollywood, and Family with Craig Thomas

S10 E6—Is disability a tragedy to overcome, a burden to bear, an inspirational lesson for everyone else? Or is there a different story to tell, and who gets to tell it? Craig Thomas, co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss That’s Not How It Happened, his novel written from nearly two decades of growing up with a son with a rare genetic condition. Together they explore: Disability representation Overprotective parenting Independence and agency The power of authentic storytelling CHAPTER LIST: 00:00 The Story Behind "That's Not How It Happened" 06:52 Character Perspectives and Empathy in Storytelling 09:27 Disability and Family Dynamics: Parents and Siblings 14:03 Exploring Agency, Independence, and Shared Humanity 19:32 The Complexity of Emotions in Disability Narratives 26:19 Challenging Myths Around Disability 28:07 The Importance of Authentic Disability Representation in Media 37:22 Reimagining Life with Disability Show notes and transcript: https://amyjuliabecker.com/craig-thom... Find more episodes: https://amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ Join the conversation on Substack: https://amyjuliabecker.substack.com/ Where you can find me: Instagram:   / amyjuliabecker   Facebook:   / amyjuliabeckerwriter   Threads: https://www.threads.net/@amyjuliabecker