***SPOILERS*** 12 year old Amy Morgan played by Renee Dudley in her 1st and only movie & TV role takes center stage here with super sensitive and caring social worker and star of the series Neil Brock, George C. Scott, on vacation-he's got to take a day or two off from work like everyone else- it's Brock's co-worker Frieda "Hecky" Hechinger, Elizabeth Wilson,who's job it is to help out Amy's parents who just can't cope with her autism that's driving them including Amy's big sister Markey, Brook Adams, straight up the wall. It's when Amy got lost when her sister Markey didn't keep an eye on her that was the last straw for her mom Nan Morgan, Marian Seldes, who flipped out and just completely lost it ending up slapping her!
With Nan's husband Tony, James Nobel, trying to get Amy professional help it's Nam who's stubbornness in helping Amy overcome her autism all by herself that makes things that much worse. That's when Nan friend social worker Hecky suggests that she's found a school in East Harlem that can help children with autism like Amy get professional help to be able to function on the outside that in some ways, by losing control of Amy, turns Nan against her. Finally getting Amy into the school for autistic children like herself run by the sweet and caring Mrs. Reagan, Rose Gregorio, things pick for for Amy but later go south when it's advised that she in fact needs to be sent away from her parents for more professional care that isn't available there for her.
One of the best episodes, minus George C. Scott, of the entire series in how "East Side West Side" took on problem's and situations back in 1963-4 that other TV drams, on city on family as well as urban life, wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. We get to see real life tragedies with Amy and her parents that we didn't see in TV series like the "Donnna Reed Show" "Leave it to Beaver" & "Father Knows Best" that effect real families not just TV ones and with both disturbing and shocking results in that every ending is not a happy one. In the case of Amy it's bittersweet in that we find hope in getting her help but in the end it's up to her, and her parents, to make that hope become a reality.
With Nan's husband Tony, James Nobel, trying to get Amy professional help it's Nam who's stubbornness in helping Amy overcome her autism all by herself that makes things that much worse. That's when Nan friend social worker Hecky suggests that she's found a school in East Harlem that can help children with autism like Amy get professional help to be able to function on the outside that in some ways, by losing control of Amy, turns Nan against her. Finally getting Amy into the school for autistic children like herself run by the sweet and caring Mrs. Reagan, Rose Gregorio, things pick for for Amy but later go south when it's advised that she in fact needs to be sent away from her parents for more professional care that isn't available there for her.
One of the best episodes, minus George C. Scott, of the entire series in how "East Side West Side" took on problem's and situations back in 1963-4 that other TV drams, on city on family as well as urban life, wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. We get to see real life tragedies with Amy and her parents that we didn't see in TV series like the "Donnna Reed Show" "Leave it to Beaver" & "Father Knows Best" that effect real families not just TV ones and with both disturbing and shocking results in that every ending is not a happy one. In the case of Amy it's bittersweet in that we find hope in getting her help but in the end it's up to her, and her parents, to make that hope become a reality.