With increasing awareness about autism, it is inevitable that it is being portrayed in the media more and more.
The classic example of autism that pops into many people’s minds is Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man.” Certainly this is ONE representation, but most people would say, “that’s not my kid.” How can we expect autism to be portrayed to our liking when we think of the mantra “if you’ve seen one kid with autism, you’ve seen one kid with autism”?
I started watching NBC’s drama “Parenthood” on TV this Fall and appreciated that they at least take a stab at accurately representing the real life rollercoaster that is today’s “modern family” (that’s another great show, but not the topic of this blog).
In “Parenthood,” it’s Max who is an 11-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome.
What I like about Parenthood isn’t whether Max’s meltdowns or stereotypic movements are accurately portrayed, but how other family members approach him. Max’s mom generally doesn’t like to shake things up, his sister doesn’t know what to do, and his dad likes to challenge his comfort zone. Of course, this parenting approach struggle makes for great TV, but it does seem to me that actual parents of children with autism are likely to relate to these struggles at least some of the time.
“Parenthood” tackles topics like what might happen when your child realizes they’re different, and in the show, Max definitely did not discover this in a positive way. It also addresses the struggles of fun, but non-routine, family activities like camping, the impact of repetitive behaviors on family life, the social stressors of being in school, and in a recent episode, the dangers of wandering and getting lost. Whether Max is an accurate portrayal of autism or not may be beside the point, as the show seems to do a fairly poignant job of just highlighting a day in the life of one family with autism.
What about media’s development of characters on the spectrum that AREN’T representations by actors? For that, I watched the 2010 Blockbuster Smash Hit, “Dear John.” While it did get a Rotten Tomato from critics, audience members appreciated it a little more.
Sure, it’s a Nicholas Sparks’ romance, but autism makes its way into the storyline. The character, Alan, has autism, but this time, the character is played by Braeden Reed, who ACTUALLY HAS AUTISM. Reportedly, he had no previous acting experience and he has a significant speech delay. As it turns out, he is an amazing actor – whether he was acting or not – that’s the beauty of it. I STRONGLY recommend that you watch the story on Braeden found in the Special Features – you’ll find out that he enriched the film for everyone involved in amazing ways.
What are some media portrayals of autism that you like? Don’t like? What do you think the impact of portraying autism in the media is on the autism community? What do you think of the speculation that the characters of Abed from “Community” and Spock from “Star Trek” are on the spectrum???
Here is a list of 10 movies depicting autism, and considering the only one on that list that I’ve seen is “Rain Man”, my Netflix queue is now very full. Other movies that may be of interest include “Dear John”, “Temple Grandin”, “Today’s Man”, and “Autism: The Musical” (a documentary).
Enjoy!
I agree that Parenthood does a good job of showing some things a family may experience when having a child who is on the Autism Spectrum. Another character that at the very least exhibits many characteristics of Aspergers Syndrome was the TV character Adrian Monk.
The Series MONK, was about a man with OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and AUTISM disorders, may appear similar, but are different in so many ways. Also Rain Man with Dustin Hoffman was not about Autism. I know it is tempting to lump all of the disorders together, but truly Autism is a separate disorder that might appear to have similarities , but really it has to do with receptive and expressive language and physical and social issues. Please feel free to go to my website to look up some helpful tips for dealing with and diminishing the behaviors that accompany Autism.
help4thespectrum.com
Thanks for commenting, Christine! One of my colleagues did tell me that apparently the real life person on which Rain Man is based ended up not having Autism years later. Either way, I’m interpreting your comment about Rain Man as identifying that the plot/theme of “Rain Man” is not really about Autism, but instead about the relationship that the two siblings end up developing. I would say the movie certainly is a representation of Autism in Dustin Hoffman’s character; important to note, however, that they heavily use the “savant” ability in their portrayal of his character and I think that often inaccurately gets lumped in with Autism. I occasionally hear parents say that when they tell their friends or family about a new Autism diagnosis, they hear “oh, like Rain Man!” or “oh, so they’re really good with numbers!” – since it’s such a striking aspect of the movie.
My feeling about “Monk” is the same as you – the OCD tendencies/behaviors can end up impacting social-communication skills, so it ends up having a lot of overlap that people pick up on.
(DISCLAIMER: just wanted to offer… what should we call it… a “legal add-on”… that reference to specific services throughout the blog, including comments from the blog community, does not constitute or imply recommendation or endorsement by Seattle Children’s – either for or against – we do love the comments!)
Thanks,
David Eaton, ARNP
It is the case that many with Autism are also diagnosed with OCD. I’m not sure we can “diagnose” Monk without knowing more about his history. His references to school experiences and social dysfunction as a child suggest that he could, indeed, be on the spectrum.