Doesn't this movie fill parents of autistic parents with false hope that they can somehow supercede doctors and "save" their children? Good flick, but maybe bad for parents of autistic children.
"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking!"
Well except that her daughter wasn't autistic. Not in the truest sense, she had been ok before her fathers death and with the trauma came autistic like behavior. It would be one thing if she had always been that way but she hadn't. Not only that but the doc's who diagnosed her didn't seem to take that into account.
shareThe child wasn't autistic; she was grief-stricken and withdrew because of her inability to deal with her father's death. I think discerning parents would realise that and would also understand, on the whole, it is just a film.
"I always pretend to root for Gryffindors but, secretly, I love my Slytherin boys."~ Karen, W&G
That was my feeling. I know grief can make people do some crazy things, but I doubt that anyone has ever heard of a case remotely like this one. Why was this child capable of such acts of genius, anyway? Was she capable of them before her father died?
I enjoyed the movie, but, as the mother of someone with ADHD, a condition that is much maligned in the media, it seemed irresponsible to me.
One of the things that Lillian discusses with Jake is how smart Sally has always been (talking a lot/early, learning different things/languages since she was a toddler). I think she was always capable of the things she did, but just didn't exhibit them beforehand.
sharetwo notes: first, selective mutism is a real disorder. a situation such as this seems almost related to post-traumatic stress, and might be rare, but is certainly possible. (this is not the same as being autistic and non-verbal. not by any means.) and second, this isn't the first time a movie has portrayed a child, traumatized after witnessing a horrific event, becoming mute and exhibiting incredible talents. the who's tommy is a great example: that deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.
sharethe people who made this movie knew nothing abouy autism.
Holy smokes 99 channels and nothing's on!
spencer breslin in the kid
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yes i know alot about autism for one I have read very many books on it a second i have aspergers. yes autism comes form many caues but they are not physilogical.
Holy smokes 99 channels and nothing's on!
spencer breslin in the kid
Hey, cool, I have Asperger's too! High-five! :D
Seriously, I too noticed that the movie confused PTSD with autism.
This movie is offensive to parents with autistic children(I have two, but mild cases). The child was obviously traumatized by the death of her father. At that young age of course she's going to withdraw. Children with autistic symptons are usually diagnosed at 18 months to 3 years of age. Not when they are 6 years old, like in this film. It's very misleading and offers false hopes to parents that someday their child will become nondisabled.
Bottom line: Sally is traumatized, not autistic.
"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens
I don't really see a reason to be offended. Sally is never called autistic at any point in this movie. It is very clearly said that she has started exhibiting autistic behavior (obviously trauma-induced), even though she is not autistic. The whole movie is spent trying to figure out why the trauma has affected her like that.
sharegoddess-36, usually when a child exhibits unusual behavior, one of two things is asked: is the child autistic? Or did something traumatic happen to the child? From there it splinters when there is a no answer. Obviously in the movie, yes, the child did experience something traumatic! But autistic behavior usually sets in between the ages of 18 months and 3 years of age. Not when one is 6 years and already globe trotting.
"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens
How is this offensive? If you have autistic children, you obviously know these things, and know better than to compare your child's case to something that doesn't even remotely resemble it.
It's shown from the beginning that she was not always like this. An autistic child was ALWAYS like that -- it didn't suddenly happen. Sally SUDDENLY withdrew and lost it. It's clear that there was trauma involved, and if parents cannot draw that line in their minds, they have no business watching films or television themselves, because they clearly have limited comprehension skills.
It's offensive because the movie is showing a traumatized child who is being labled as autistic. Autistic children are not traumatized into their condition. Sally was going to be fixed and sent back into life, whereas an autistic child(depending on their degree of autism)is taught how to do things or receive occupational therapy.
"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens
Autism is a neurological condition where a child exhibits 'autistic' behavior. 'Autistic' behavior does not necessarily equal 'Autism,' as in this movie.
See also 'Silent Fall' with Richard Dreyfuss for another slant on DD/Autistic/Traumatized kid, and 'Relative Fear' for a switched-at-birth yarn with James Brolin.
As a person with aspergers, an asurism spectrum disorder, we are not disabled, we are differently abled. Please for the sake of your children stop thinking of them as disabled.
shareI know they are not physically disabled. But the State of California says they are through a neurological disorder. Take it easy. I'm on your side!
The New York Rangers suck. And Sidney Crosby is a cry baby!
Let's please differentiate between a creative film and a medical documentary. This film is very original and creative. The fact that it draws on reality and then bends it to suit its own purposes is irrelevant, and the very purpose of art.
Those who are sensitized by their own private grief should perhaps avoid this film. Those who use movies as sources of information about treating medical or psychological conditions should seek immediate help, since they are likely to draw on any available misinformation designed to damage their children's psyche.
Should we ban Lord of the Rings because of its unrealistic portrayal of little people?
As an autistic (PDD) myself I too found it offensive and yes she was dealing with her fathers death a totally different way.
AUTISM: My battle, my story, my miracle, my fight, my awareness... I hope 2 inspire someone.