In case you didn’t know, today is National Autism Awareness Day. Of course, if you’re one of the parents of the 1-in-150 children born today that suffer with autistic spectrum disorder, every day is autism awareness day. I initially thought I’d commemorate the day by writing a gallery of Great Depictions of Autism in Movies and TV — but when I started to look, I didn’t find all that many. There are a few terrific documentaries out there, like Autism Every Day (which I saw at Sundance a few years back, and wrecked me) and HBO’s Autism: The Musical, but I couldn’t find enough to fill out a decent list.
The acknowledged cinematic standard-bearer is Rain Man — a fine movie, to be sure, and Dustin Hoffman’s performance was deft and heartfelt. But he was playing an autistic-savant, a very rare autism subset which doesn’t reflect the condition as it resides in most households.
Oddly enough, I found one of the most mature, knowing, tender portrayals of a child with autism in the last place I’d have thought to look. Maybe because I’d been looking at it all along.
In doing my "research" for our awesome new PopWatch feature Firefly Fridays (I know, tough job I’ve got, watching a show that I already love again and again), I noticed something that I hadn’t before. Despite the sci-fi frooferoo, Summer Glau’s River Tam (pictured, right, with Sean Maher as her brother, Simon) is, for all intents and purposes, autistic. She wavers between lucidity and mania, she "stims" with her hands, she repeats phrases over and over (known as echolalia); the only thing predictable about her is that she’s unpredictable. But she can also be sweet, and playful, and a joy to be around.
Which, now that I think about it, is exactly how I’d describe my five-year-old daughter. Of course, my kid isn’t a government-created killing machine and there’s no "easy" remedy for what ails her, no one to blame. But Joss Whedon’s show doesn’t skirt River’s illness, doesn’t soft-pedal it, and doesn’t ever make it look easy to live with.
So, for the rest of today — heck, give it the whole month, since April is Autism Awareness Month — if you see a parent struggling with a child who seems a little too energetic, a little too loud, a little too much… think a moment before wondering why said parent can’t get a handle on their kid. Do it for River.
God Bless you and your daughter. It seems like so much progress has been made toward figuring out this disease..I hope it continues and we can unlock the mystery of autism.
Snow Cake is a good movie, though not great. Sigourney Weaver plays an autistic mother, and Alan Rickman proves again what a wonderful actor he is. For those looking for an honest potrayal of autism, check it out.
One of the doctors on St Elsewhere (I think) had an autistic son. I was a kid and it was the first time I had heard of it.
A good friend of mine has an autistic son, and I have to say that I love the time I spend with Sam. He is so focused and passionate about whatever his current obsession is — I recall a game of Go Fish that went on for a full hour. Most kids can’t sit still for 20 minutes! And my kids have learned a lot from being around Sam, too. They are kind and patient with someone they don’t necessarily understand, something most kids and adults still need to learn.
I can’t think of any good fictional examples, but I do appreciate the way Jenny McCarthy has spoken out on behalf of her son. She is honest, educated, and sincere.
My best friend’s sons are both autistic. I’ve watched her fight for their rights in their suburban school system with awe. It baffles me that even special ed programs don’t know how to work with autistic kids.
I was at a mall in West Hartford with my autistic then-four ear old son. He decided to have a meltdown right in the middle of the mall. Two women walked by me, giving me dirty looks, saying just loud enough for me to hear what a horrible mother I was for “letting” my child do that. Trying not to lose what calmness I had left (meltdowns can be very trying), I explained he was autistic. They seemed quite embarrassed. I hope they learned that just because a child looks “typical” (there is no such word as normal), he might have a condition not visible to their small mindsets.
River Tam is mentally ill — probably suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things. She’s not autistic. You DO realize there’s a difference in autism and mental illness, don’t you?
Yes, hanncoll, I know what caused River’s condition. But, as designed by Firefly’s creators, it “exhibits” like autism. Which was my point. Hence the “for all intents and purposes” bit.
In respons to “Friday”, I have to say that autism is NOT a disease. It’s a neurological difference.
I myself have Asperger’s Syndrome, although it only really affected my life and caused problems for me until about the tenth grade. Now I live a fairly normal life, with fewer obstacles. Y’know how people with Aspergers have obsessive interests? Well, mine is EW: Since 2004, I’ve read every issue, cover to cover, as well as about 90% of all the online material. I’m the go-to guy at school for all things pop culture.
Another good flick to honor the day, “House of Cards” with Kathleen Turner. The child’s symptoms revert after sorting out a trauma, but despite this convenience, the compassion and style are sweet and seem authentic. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107148/
Hi, I have a 4 year-old with autism. Thanks for posting this. I just wanted to say that my autistic child is the most affectionate boy I’ve ever met, and has some amazing moments of genius… The language delay is what worries me, and the lack of social awareness. He also has a hard time leaving a fun activity when I ask him to go to school/take a bath/etc. But all in all he can be easier to handle than most “perfect” kids. You just have to learn to adjust your expectations and have fun playing along with him.
Kisu, the problem with that sort of movie is that it depicts a false image of autism, as if it’s a result of some psychological trauma. Absolutely not. Autism is embedded on the genes, and it is noticeable by the time the child turns 3 years old. Autism impacts the pathways/connections in the brain, and therefore autistic people perceive the world in a different way. They have a hard time learning language, communication, social rules. They may be over or under sensitive to touch and sound and sights. They have repetitive behaviors and sometimes odd physical movements. In a nutshell, it’s not caused by trauma.
“Mozart and the Whale”, with Josh Hartnett and Rhada Mitchell is a good movie about adults with high functioning autism and Asperger’s.
In regards to kids, “Autism-The Musical” (see hbo.com) is the best.
Autism isn’t an illness, and not everyone with autism “suffers” from it. In fact, most autistic people would not “suffer” at all if it weren’t for the way most non-autistic people treat them.