He is known for writing, co-producing, and co-directing Little Fugitive and for co-creating and co-writing with Jay Williams the Danny Dunn series of science fiction books for children.
During World War II Abrashkin served in the United States Maritime Service on supply ships in the Atlantic.
In 1952, Abrashkin wrote the screenplay for Little Fugitive under the name "Ray Ashley", which he co-produced and co-directed with Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin.
The movie, which came out in 1953, was nominated for an Academy Award, and won acclaim and praise from François Truffaut as setting the stage for the French New Wave movement.
While working on the movie at Coney Island, Abrashkin was stricken with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), from which he died, aged 49.