How Autism Is Depicted In Movies

Most parents find it difficult to accept that their child belongs to the autism spectrum. More than the child's need for therapy, it is the parents who seem to need something to overcome their overeagerness to find a cure or reduce the symptoms exhibited by their children.

Even though others try to read as much as they can on the autistic spectrum condition (ASC), others have turned to watching movies that depict autism. One of the most popular portrayals of a person with autism is "Rain Man," which starred Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt.

Regardless of Hoffman's superb acting, which led to an Oscar Award, it is, unfortunately, one of the least accurate depiction of autism. The movie portrayed Babbitt as a savant with prodigious abilities beyond what is normal, giving people an inaccurate representation of the real condition of the majority of people with autism.

Autism in popular culture has often overemphasized social awkwardness, savant-like mental capabilities and even mathematical prodigy characteristics, according to Spectrum News. This is, however, far from the truth considering that savantism and the other characteristics are not so common among people who belong to the autism spectrum. Most moviemakers have depicted an almost surreal picture of a person with autism instead of a real-life one.

The Guardian, however, said there seems to be a shift of how people on the autism spectrum have been portrayed in the last five years. Take for example the Bollywood movie "My Name Is Khan," which depicted the spectrum not only by defining the common characteristics of the condition but relating it as well to the Muslim faith of the character. The movie, "Mary and Max," showed the loneliness and alienation felt by a person with autism.

The number of children with autism is growing, according to Huffington Post, with one out of every 88 children in the United States diagnosed with the condition. It is also one of the most common neurological disorder among children in Canada event though there is no actual monitoring system being implemented by the federal government.