Exploring Autism in the Movie, Rain Man
Autism is considered a unique disorder that affects 1 in 500 people.
Autism impairs three main areas of human development: speech,
communication, and social interaction. The trademark feature of autism
is impaired social interaction. All impairments can range from mild to
severe. Individuals with autism may lack speech altogether or only
learn basic language specific to their needs. In the area of social
interaction, the individual is often withdrawn from others. They lack
the ability to comprehend facial expressions and the actions of others
are confusing. Many individuals with autism lack interest in social
interaction. There is a lack of imagination and a preference to engage
in routines. Individuals usually find security in the routines, and
become very dependent on them.
What causes autism? No one is sure what causes autism research seems
to suggest that it is caused by both genetic and environmental
factors. There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. A diagnosis
is based on an observation of the individual's communication,
behavior, and developmental levels. There is also no cure for autism.
Evidence does show that early intervention has a positive outcome for
young children with autism. Many adaptations can be made to a
classroom to ensure the least restrictive environment for and autistic
child. A few of those adaptations would be: daily routines encouraged
social interactions, and alone time. If you are interested in autism,
the movie Rain Man is very informative. Rain Man will provide you with
an insight into the life of a man with autism.
Rain Man portrays the life o...
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... leaving caused problems in the relationship between
Charlie and his father. Charlie's father carried around this guilt for
not being able to care for his son and Charlie was never able to
understand him because of this secret.
There were quite a few adaptations made for Raymond. Raymond refused
to take an airplane so Charlie had to drive across country. There were
also certain parts of Raymond's daily routine that he could not manage
without. To accommodate Raymond, Charlie bought him a portable T.V.
and stopped each night so that Raymond could be in bed by eleven.
There were other adaptations made, Raymond's bed had to be placed in
front of a window and he would not travel when it was raining. Making
the adaptations for Raymond is what helped Charlie to better
understand and come to love his brother and his autism.
Nothing much ever happens in Endora, Iowa. The Grape family is one of several that inhabit this town. Gilbert is the eldest brother of 4 children, of whom all but one, still live at home with their Momma. Arnie is 6 days away from being 18 years old. Doctors told the family that they would be lucky if he could live until the age of 10. The movie begins with Arnie and Gilbert watching the trailers pass by, an annual tradition before Arnie’s birthday. After the trailers have all come and gone, they go into town and head to Gilbert’s work. Shortly after arriving, he is called out for a delivery to Mrs. Carver’s. He leaves Arnie alone in the truck, when he exits the home, Gilbert realizes that Arnie is missing. At that same time, the sheriff goes flying by; it can only mean one thing. Upon driving into the middle of town, it is then that Gilbert sees Arnie. He has once again climbed up the water tower. It is at this time you see the true connection between Gilbert and his brother Arnie. As Arnie continues to climb higher, his brother takes the loud speaker and begins singing to him. He is able to coax him down through song, assuring the sheriff it won’t happen again, he is able to then take him home. Being the main caretaker for his brother, Gilbert is responsible for bathing and getting Arnie ready for bed.
Charlie's journey to Paris to pick up his daughter reminds me of when I visited America. I stayed for one year before I went back for my Children. I had to get to know them again. I can relate to Charlie when he told Honoria "I want to get to Know you" (9).When you stay away from you children for sometime , you feel that they have grown so much and there is so much you don't know about them. Charlie had reasons to mistrust Marion .As Fitzgerald put it " Charlie became increasingly alarmed at leaving Honoria in this atmosphere of hostility against himself; sooner or later, it will come out in a word here, a shake of head there, and some of the distrust will be irrevocably implanted on Honoria"(13). It is not easy to leave your child with some one who you Know definitely does not like you. The father and Daughter bond is a strong bond and if it is destroyed at this early age it can become very difficult to restore it. Marion was very strongly biased against Charlie.
Towards the end of the first paragraph we begin to get more of an insight into what Charlie’s father is really like. The first example of this is “I’d like to take you up to my club, but it’s in the Sixties, and if you have to catch an early train I guess we’d better get something around here”.
Both Christopher Boone, from the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Raymond Babbitt, from the movie Rainman, suffer from Asperger s disorder. They have several characteristics in common: they are both autistic savants with impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and activities. Moreover, Christopher and Raymond are similar in that they are both autistic mathematical savants. According to the Wikipedia free dictionary. An autistic savant, historically described as an idiot savant, is a person with both autism and savant syndrome.
Charlie’s character transition is an evidence of the saying, “Walk a mile in my shoes. See what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel, then maybe you’ll understand why I do what I do. Until then don’t judge me.” His journey with Kanalaaq showed him how important it is for people not to judge other for superficial
According to Bandera (1994), self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave. Such beliefs produce these diverse effects through four major processes. They include cognitive, motivational, affective, and selection processes (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Near the end of the movie, Raymond has a difficult time answering questions concerning where he wants to live, which may be due to low self efficacy. By choosing to live with Charlie, he would have to engage in more unfamiliar activities which may lead him to be fearful to choose it; however he has made a connection with Charlie and this connection could strengthen his resolve to maintain it. Should he go back to the institution, he would be returning to the familiar and there would be people to aid him in all aspects of his
He doesn’t lack of encourage anymore, he has overcome his fear and despair. “I have to go. I have to disobey every impulse and leave her for Jasper Jones, for Jack Lionel, for this horrible mess.” We see a different Charlie from his determination. From escape to face up, he shows us more responsible. From helpless to assertive, he comes to realize what he really wants. He knows the dark side of human nature and this unfair and cold world. His innocent, his perfect world has been destroyed by those horrible things; because of these, he knows the part of real world, he knows how the ‘dark’ actually changes this world, his friends, his family, included
Before completing the assignment of reading “Thinking in Pictures,” by Temple Grandin, I did not have much knowledge about autism. My only understanding was autism was some sort of neurological disorder that is seen similar to mentally handicapped individuals to someone with little understanding, like myself. I am very thankful to have been given an assignment like this one that gives me more knowledge of something I should already have in my line of work (though I am sure that was the whole purpose of the assignment, to educate the ignorant). I now have a better understanding of the cause, learning process and functioning of different levels of this defect.
Therefore, there were no causal factors suggested in the film for the character’s disorder but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape and structure of the brain in children with autism compared to in neurotypical children. Researchers do not know the exact cause of autism but are investigating a number of theories, including the links between heredity, genetics, and medical problems (Autism Society)”. The movie was released in 1988 so during this time period there really wasn’t a lot known about this disorder. Towards the end of the movie, Charlie takes Raymond to a doctor in order to learn more about his condition and the doctor simply states that Raymond has autism and that, “there is really not much you can do for him other than to deal with it”. Raymond does not take any medication throughout the movie; so, the only treatment that he received, if any, is staying at the Walbrook mental Institute. If fact, members of the Walbrook Institute wanted to keep Raymond in order to learn more about him. The understanding of autism has come a long way since the release of this movie Rain Man. Some of the treatments today include medication, behavioral training and specialized therapy that includes speech, occupational, and physical therapy. “Early diagnosis and treatment help young children with autism develop to their full
Autism is a form of neurodevelopment disorder in the autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by impaired development in social interactions and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. There is an observed lack of spontaneous acts of communication; both receptive and expressed, as well as speech impairments. A person diagnosed with Autism will also show a limited range of activities and interests, as well as forming and maintain peer relationships. The individuals will display limited interests, which are often very focused and repetitive. He or she is likely to be very routine oriented and may show behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.
I do believe Charlie is not truly ready for parenthood. It appears he is fighting a demon, longing for a piece of his life that was lost in his past. Motivated by guilt I believe he is substituting materialism for love believing money buys happiness. He would substitute a governess for parenting for he realizes his business ventures will not lend time to child rearing.
Autism usually occurs within the first three years of life, and drastically affects the development of a child. It is also the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States (Autism Project, 2014). One out of eighty- eight children is diagnosed with Autism, and boys are five times more likely to be diagnosed (ASDS 2013). Many areas of development are affected by autism. This is a disease that disturbs the brains normal development of communication, social interaction, and sensory processing (Inc 2013).
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to high-functioning (some communication and inappropriate but existent social skills.)
Savant syndrome isn’t bad or harmful at all to the autistic person it is actually highly beneficial to the person and other people so there is no need for treatment for this. There have been no previous records of anyone trying to treat savant. A big benefit that Charlie had from Raymond was being able to count playing cards. Charlie taught his brother how to play black jack. After Charlie took Raymond to the casinos in Las Vegas Raymond help Charlie when a bunch of money.