Representation on Film

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

Gallego, Ana Guadalupe, Camino Ferreira, and Ana Rosa Arias-Gago. 2025. "Stereotyped Representations of Disability in Film and Television: A Critical Review of Narrative Media" Disabilities 5, no. 4: 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities5040087

Abstract:

Film and television play a key role in shaping cultural perceptions of disability, but they often rely on recurring stereotypes that may reinforce stigma and exclusion. Although scholarly interest in this issue has increased, the academic literature remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive synthesis. This critical review examines how disability is represented through stereotypical portrayals in narrative audiovisual media, specifically scripted films and television series. It synthesizes peer-reviewed studies that explicitly analyze these representations and their narrative or sociocultural functions. The review identifies dominant tropes, theoretical frameworks, and disciplinary approaches while providing a qualitative synthesis of key trends and findings. Although persistent stereotypes are still common, the review also highlights a growing presence of more inclusive and complex portrayals that challenge traditional norms. By providing a structured overview of existing research, this study enhances academic understanding of how disability is depicted on screen and supports efforts to promote more inclusive and accurate representations in popular media.

Jones SC, Gordon CS, Mizzi S. Representation of autism in fictional media: A systematic review of media content and its impact on viewer knowledge and understanding of autism. Autism. 2023 Nov;27(8):2205-2217. doi: 10.1177/13623613231155770. Epub 2023 Feb 19. PMID: 36802826; PMCID: PMC10576905.

Abstract:

 Media depictions of autism have the potential to have either positive or detrimental impacts on the lives of autistic people. This systematic review aimed to examine (1) the accuracy and authenticity of fictional media portrayals of autism (Part A) and (2) the impact of viewing such portrayals on knowledge about autism and attitudes towards autistic people (Part B). Seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review: 14 for Part A and 3 for Part B, comprising five experimental studies. The media reviewed in Part A covered a 30-year period (1988–2017). Several stereotypical and unhelpful portrayals surfaced. Positive portrayals of autism highlighted strengths and reflected nuance. Overall, participants in the fiction conditions in Part B were significantly more likely to attribute positive traits to an autistic person than those in the control conditions, with medium effect sizes ranging from 0.57 to 0.73. There were no improvements in knowledge. Given the small number of studies included in this review, further evidence is needed to understand the conditions under which fictional media may be effective. There is also a need to develop measures that accurately and respectfully measure autistic people’s experiences of community knowledge and attitudes.

From the article:

The representation of autistic people in fictional media remains problematic. The studies included in this review found that portrayals of autism in film tend to focus on individuals with high support needs (e.g. full-time care and support), thus disregarding the varying levels of support that may be required by different individuals on the spectrum and the fluctuations in the amount of support required within the life span of an autistic person. Studies also contained explicit or implicit disablism, and consistent with findings from previous reviews, television series tended to focus on stereotypical portrayals of the autistic savant (Dean & Nordahl-Hansen, 2021; Fontes & Pino-Juste, 2021). Across all mediums, there was an overrepresentation of repetitive/restricted behaviours and an underrepresentation of social communication deficits; although, somewhat encouragingly, recent novels, picture books and television series were more likely to provide a nuanced representation of autism (Kelley et al., 2018; Kelley et al., 2015; Wolff, 2018).

 

Autism Depictions and Autistic People

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

White, J.M., Snape, S. Effect of Autism Portrayal in Television and Film Media on Viewers With Autism. J Autism Dev Disord (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07305-4.  Abstract

Purpose

Representation of people with autism in television and film media is increasing. However, inaccurate or stereotypical representations can be potentially harmful to the world’s view of people with autism. This has been widely explored in previous literature. However, less attention has been given to analysing how people with autism perceive these representations and the effect that these representations have on people with autism themselves. The current study therefore explored the perceptions of people with autism on representations of autism in television and film media and the effects that these representations have on them.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on this topic. Thematic analysis was then carried out.

Results

Thematic analysis identified three key themes: ‘neurotypical actors in autistic roles leads to feelings of discomfort’; ‘autism representation is well-meaning, but lazy’; and ‘harmful effect of the autistic savant’.

Conclusion

Overall, rather than empowering and including people with autism, the representations of autism in television and film media that they encountered were often found to be distressing. These findings have clear implications for how autism representation in television and film media could be improved.

From the article:

The current study aimed to directly elicit and analyse the views of people with autism on representations of autism in television and film media and to explore the effect that these representations have on them. Through interviews with people with ASD and subsequent thematic analysis three key themes were identified: neurotypical actors in autistic roles leads to feelings of discomfort; autism representation is well meaning, but lazy; and the harmful effect of the autistic savant.

The currents study’s findings that viewing neurotypical actors playing autistic characters was perceived negatively by the viewers with autism and as a missed opportunity for greater autistic representation furthers the idea that more consideration should be given to casting actors with autism in roles that portray autism. This is consistent with the suggestions of many critics of autism media (e.g. Bastow, 2021; O’Keeffe, 2017; Thomson, 2021) and supports the endorsement of casting actors with autism by autistic survey respondents in previous research by Orm et al. (2023). The current study’s findings further expand on these ideas, by suggesting that a clear underlying reason for viewers with autism’s rejection of neurotypical actors playing autistic characters may be that viewing this can cause significant discomfort in viewers with autism. Some may even view these representations as offensive. Mimicking autism related behaviours, such as stimming by these non-autistic actors was seen to be particularly discomforting to the viewers with autism, which supports suggestions that seeing this on screen can be perceived as harmful and a mockery of those with autism (e.g. Draaisma, 2009; Brady & Cardin, 2021).

The current study’s finding that viewers with autism felt that the depictions of autistic characters in television shows and films tended to be somewhat lazy, relying on stereotypical representations supports the claims of critics that media portrayals of autism are often stereotypical (e.g. Nordahl-Hansen, 2017; Lee & Deng, 2020; Ressa, 2021). Stereotypical representations may feed into the potential association between how autism is represented in the media and stigma (e.g. Broderick, 2010; Holton, 2013). The current study also highlights that in addition to the lasting societal impact that inaccurate information and poor portrayals of autism can have (Brede et al., 2017; Black et al., 2020) these stereotypical or negative representations can potentially create unease or even anger in viewers with autism. Therefore, the rejection of stereotypical representations of autism by viewers with autism may be motivated not only by a desire to see accurate representations, but also by the discomfort that inaccurate representations provoke within them. Viewing these inaccurate portrayals could have potential effects on the individual’s sense of self, as what they are seeing on screen is supposedly a representation of the group that they belong to. Where the focus is on negative depictions of autism this may even affect the individual's mental health (Cage et al., 2018).

Additionally, the current study’s findings that viewers with autism feel that the frequent featuring of the ‘autistic savant’ stereotype is not representative of people with autism supports previous research which highlights its overuse (e.g. Anjay et al., 2011). This also further validates criticism of one of the earliest representations of autism in film Rain Man (Levinson, 1988) for its stereotypical focus on the ‘autistic savant’ trope (Hannam, 2014). In addition, the current study expands upon the overuse of the ‘autistic savant’ stereotype by highlighting the potential effect that the overuse of this trope can have. Specifically, it can lead to the unrealistic expectation in others that all people that they encounter with autism will essentially be geniuses. This can lead to confusion in individuals with autism when they encounter people who have formed this view, as they may not understand why this expectation is being placed upon them. When they are subsequently unable to live up to this unrealistic expectation they may be left feeling negatively about themselves or may even not understand why they are not able to do the things that they see autistic characters do in television and film media.

 

Disability Representation on TV

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.   With some notable exceptions, the story is not a pleasant one.

"The State of Disability Representation on Television: An Analysis of Scripted TV Series from 2016-2023."

The Ruderman Family Foundation, in collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute, has released a white paper analyzing disability representation in 350 scripted TV series from 2016 to 2023. The study reveals that nearly 80% of characters with disabilities are inauthentically cast, with overall representation remaining disproportionately low at just 3.9%, despite nearly 30% of the U.S. population identifying as disabled. Authentic casting has fluctuated without a clear upward trend, and disability representation lacks diversity, with most characters portrayed as white. The report calls for industry-wide changes, including increasing opportunities for creators with disabilities, implementing authentic casting, and normalizing disability in storytelling.

Disability Onscreen

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

Matt Grobar at Deadline:

Inevitable Foundation, the non-profit advocating on behalf of the disabled filmmaking community, on Wednesday unveiled a new report examining how the global disability audience continues to be underserved across the streaming and theatrical landscapes, despite representing a large and engaged demographic.

The “Audiences Are Waiting for Hollywood to Greenlight Disability” report, from the Foundation’s Research Institute, surveyed over 1,000 people — both disabled and non-disabled — about the current state of disability and mental health representation on-screen.

The findings were as follows:

• 66% of audiences are unsatisfied with current representations of disability and mental health in film and TV.
• 35% of disabled people watch 20+ hours of TV per week, compared to 25% non-disabled people.
• 20% of all audiences would subscribe to a new streaming service and go to more movies in theaters if they included authentic representations of people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
• 40% of audiences, disabled and non-disabled alike, are very likely to recommend a film or TV show to friends and family if it showcases authentic representations of disability and/or mental health conditions.

...

The full Greenlight Disability Report can be found at the link.

Joshua Pitney, Filmmaker

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

Joshua Pitney (aka "JP"), a junior at Pepperdine University is autistic. In this short, he discusses his career aspirations as an filmmaker. 

Disability in Hollywood

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

UCLA report on diversity in movies:

Comprising at least 26 percent of the United States population, adults with a disability were underrepresented in front of the camera in top films in 2022.

 9.1 percent of theatrical film leads

6.1 percent of streaming film leads

5 percent of total theatrical film actors

4.2 percent total streaming film actors 

UCLA report on diversity in TV:

Comprising at least 26 percent of the United States population,  adults with a disability were severely underrepresented in front of the camera across all three platforms in 2021-22.

• 12.2 percent of broadcast scripted leads
• 9.9 percent of cable scripted leads
• 5.6 percent of digital scripted leads

Thunderfeather and Autism in Film

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  There are now efforts to improve the representation of autistic people in the performing arts. 

Peter Rosen at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City: 

A Utah filmmaker is trying to create opportunities for people who are neurodivergent, in the movies.

Levi Harris said it began he was working on a film script about a little boy who befriends a werewolf.

“I just realized he was autistic,” Harris said. “And like, I’m not autistic. I don’t have a sibling [or] somebody that I’m directly connected to that’s autistic. But it was kind of the beginning [for] me of exploring that world.”

That became a short film, “The Thunderbird,” starring a little boy who has autism, Anderson Hazen, and the start of an organization called Thunderfeather.

ReelAbilities

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

Abbey White at The Hollywood Reporter:

ReelAbilities Film Festival has announced a new streaming platform dedicated to curating, supporting and streaming films and short films around disability.

Launching Tuesday during Disability Pride month and ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ReelAbilitiesStream.org features a library of more than 50 films featured at previous editions of the festival that celebrate and explore the lives and experiences of people with disabilities. The launch marks the platform, which utilizes as pay-per-view model, as the largest online hub for disability-themed films.

Pop Culture and Stereotypes

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss challenges facing autistic adults and children.  One is stereotyping of autistic people.

 Claire Kenny at Ms.:

How do people without knowledge of autism normally picture an autistic person? Perhaps, as Dr. Devon Price said, “a white man with a monotone voice, rude demeanor and a penchant for science.” Price, a social psychologist, professor and trans author on the autism spectrum, lists in his book Unmasking Autism (2022) more stereotypical examples of autism in pop culture: Shaun Murphy from The Good Doctor, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and Rick from Rick and Morty. In other words, he writes, some variation of “white boys who love trains.”

But autism can take many forms, and often presents differently in girls and boys.

...

Women and girls on the spectrum have continuously been more under- or misdiagnosed with autism than boys, and on average receive diagnoses later in life than boys and men do. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) notes that the ratio of autistic boys and men to autistic girls and women is generally considered 4:1, yet NLM researcher Robert McCrossin suggests this statistic might be inaccurate due to sexist bias.

...

Studies on autistic adults have found that women mask their autism more than men do, which could explain why they often fly under the radar. The cause may relate to sexist social expectations for women and discrimination from patriarchal medical systems.

Autism Portrayals

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

Marisa Iati at WP:

The doctor’s voice rises each time he repeats the sentence, crescendoing into a scream by the eighth repetition.

“I am a surgeon!” Shaun Murphy yells at his chief of surgery, who had boxed him out of helping with a procedure.

The encounter, a scene from ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” went viral in some corners of the internet this week, with social media users mocking its intensity. Viewer reactions and the resulting memes reignited conversations about how the show, which just finished its sixth season, portrays its autistic protagonist.

Among experts and advocates for autistic people, opinions are mixed. Some said the character of Murphy, played by Freddie Highmore, is depicted as an unfortunate assemblage of stereotypical behaviors, rather than as a full human. Others felt the protagonist fairly represents some autistic adults but offers no insight into the experiences of many others. Several called on ABC to employ more autistic screenwriters to make the show more authentic.

Autistic Filmmaker

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

Joshua Pitney (aka "JP"), a sophomore at Pepperdine University, made Infinite, a  7-minute narrative film.  It depicts an autistic student who come to accept his identity. It won several awards at the Christian Online Film Festival.

 Samantha Bravo at The Malibu Times:

‘Infinite’ just became an official selection of the International Christian Film & Music Festival

“Infinite,” a short film produced by Pepperdine University sophomore Joshua Pitney and senior Autumn Johnson, has won several awards at the 65th Christian Online Film Festival.

Pitney wrote and directed the film, which depicts an autistic student who comes to accept his identity. Originally developed for a Screen Arts Production 2 class, the project is inspired by Pitney’s own experiences.

“I am on the autism spectrum, and I strive to tell authentic neurodiverse stories,” said Pitney. “So, this assignment was an opportunity for me to showcase correct autism representation. I was also able to pull in my own experiences of struggling with my identity and realizing I was made just the way God intended for me to be.”

The 7-minute film garnered accolades for Best Student Film (Joshua Pitney, Autumn Johnson), Best Actor (Kyle Burnett – Charlie The Student), Best Actor Supporting (Jack Pitney – The Teacher), Best Music & Sound (Kyle Simpson, Nolan Ause), and Best Villain (Carlos Gomez – Casey The Bully).

A screen arts major, Pitney selected a crew of nearly all Pepperdine students to create “Infinite,” and he credits the university for supporting his cinematic and personal journeys.

Theater Pulls Movie by Pastor Who Says Autism is Demonic

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. Many posts have discussed the potential correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies.  Genetics tops the list.  One thing that is NOT on the list is demonic possession.  

Ben Gilliam at WJHL-TV:

A local theater has pulled all screenings of a film that features a pastor who business owners say has compared autism to possession from otherworldly entities.

In a Tuesday Facebook post, Abingdon Cinemall owners said that the complex would not be showing “Come Out in Jesus Name,” a film starring pastor Greg Locke.

According to marketing material for the film, Locke (who plays himself) and a band of comrades set off “the most important awakening in the history of the Christian Church” through the exorcism of demons. After the March 13 screening of “Come Out in Jesus Name”, marketing material encouraged viewers to attend simulcast events featuring Locke and “his fellow demon slayers” to experience “a supernatural mass deliverance… in Jesus name.”

“On the one hand, it is important that our general public be able to see any particular movie if that is their choice,” Cinemall’s post said. “The fact that a movie is controversial, whether for faith or political ideology reasons, has never stopped us from showing it before.”

But according to the post, Locke’s messages surrounding people on the autism spectrum mean it will not be showing in their business.

“On the other hand, one of the preachings of the debated film’s protagonist, Pastor Locke, is that autism spectrum and similar disorders are the result of demonic possession,” the post said. “I have family and friends with children who are autistic. They are all beautiful, loving souls.”

 

The receipts:

Christian hate-preacher Greg Locke said this morning that children with autism actually suffer from demon possession.

"Your kid could be demonized and attacked, but your doctor calls it autism."

He added: "Ain't no such diagnosis in the Bible." pic.twitter.com/Q44WmGKCd7

— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) January 23, 2022

For a short Christian film that celebrates autistic people, see  "Infinite," by my son Joshua Pitney. It is an official selection of the 2023 International Christian Film & Music Festival.

 

Authentic Casting

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture. 

Tim Gray at Variety:

The best picture Oscar for “CODA” was historic for many reasons — including the fact that it honored a film with authentic casting of Deaf people, after the disabled have been historically ignored or misrepresented in Hollywood.

So can we expect a flood of movies about the disabled? Maybe. The 2022 Oscar contenders show that so far it’s a trickle, not a flood. “Causeway,” “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” all feature authentic casting, with disabled characters played by disabled actors. (What a concept!)

...

“Cha Cha” writer-director-star Cooper Raiff says it never occurred to him to audition non-autistic actors for the central role of Lola, who is on the autism spectrum, as is the actress who plays her, Vanessa Burghardt.

Raiff tells Variety, “In a movie, I’m always trying to make a scene more real and authentic. And the first step is to cast someone who will play the role best. So to cast a neurotypical actor would be a waste of time. They would do research but wouldn’t have the heart.”
...

Burghardt says before “Cha Cha,” her agents usually didn’t reveal her autism: “There is a bias and I wouldn’t have gotten those auditions in the first place.”

The Best Gift

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

Joshua Pitney (aka "JP"), a sophomore at Pepperdine University, made this 11-minute narrative film as part of an internship with Positive Identity.  In the film, a young autistic actor struggles to find his self-confidence.  

JP writes:

I wanted to tell this story because I, too, have had moments where I have struggled with my identity being on the autism spectrum. I have learned to accept myself for who I am and not be ashamed of my autistic traits, like stimming.

My hope is that this story will inspire others on the spectrum, or anyone else who feels different, to love themselves for who they are and embrace their identity.

 

Marvels of Media Festival

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  There are now efforts to improve the representation of autistic people in the performing arts. 

From the Museum of the Moving Image:

MARVELS OF MEDIA FESTIVAL

Thursday, Mar 31 - Saturday, Apr 30

The Marvels of Media Awards at Museum of the Moving Image is the very first media awards ceremony, festival, and exhibition celebrating media-makers on the autism spectrum. The open call for the first edition of this annual program received 3,071 nominations from 117 countries. Twenty media works were chosen for awards in 12 categories. The winners will be celebrated on March 31, with the ribbon-cutting for an exhibition at MoMI featuring a selection of 18 works and an awards ceremony in the Redstone Theater. The Marvels of Media Exhibition is on view through May 1. Learn more here.

Free with RSVP, but space is limited. To request a ticket, please complete this form.

Award categories include: Animated Short, Collaborative Innovation, Digital Art, Documentary, Experimental Film, Mockumentary, Narrative Feature, Narrative Short, Series, Video Game, Student Animated Short, and Student Video Game.

Additionally there will be a series of events in relation to the awards ceremony, including an Access Rider Workshop for Artists with Disabilities led by artist-filmmaker April Lin 林 (RSVP here), a hands-on animation workshop combining digital and analog filmmaking led by media artist Carrie Hawks (RSVP here), a program of ReelAbilities Shorts, and a selection of Marvels of Media Films (RSVP here).

MoMI’s Marvels of Media Awards was developed by the Museum’s education department in partnership with Josh Sapan, a longtime member of MoMI’s Board of Trustees and the Executive Vice Chairman of AMC Networks. Through the Marvels of Media Awards, MoMI supports the creative endeavors of media-makers on the spectrum, of all ages and backgrounds. For more information about the project and to see a list of the advisory committee of artists, spokespeople on the autism spectrum, and experts in the field, as well as the final jury who selected the awardees, please visit this page.

Hollywood and Inclusion

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  

Latesha Harris at Variety:

Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston and Mark Ruffalo are among the stars who have signed an open letter calling on Hollywood executives to create more opportunities for people with disabilities.

The growing number of industry notables who have signed the letter include Academy Award winners Marlee Matlin, Peter Farrelly and Chris Cooper, as well as Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Bobby Farrelly, Glen Mazzara, Ali Stroker, Tony Shalhoub, Jason Alexander, Tim Bagley, Marianne Leone Cooper, Willie Garson, Sammi Haney, CJ Jones, Orlando Jones (who was recently fired from “American Gods”), Ruth Madeley, RJ Mitte, Steven Weber, Danny Woodburn and Kurt Yaeger. Another signer was Norman Lear, who pioneered hiring people with disabilities when he cast Geri Jewell as a recurring character on “Facts of Life” for the 1980-84 seasons.

From the letter:

But in the history of the Academy Awards, among the 61 Oscar nominees and 27 winners playing characters with a disability, only two were authentically portrayed by an actor with disability. [Harold Russell and Marlee Matlin]

...

While many beloved characters have a disability, opportunities for actors with disabilities are virtually non-existent. In fact, research shows that 95 percent of top show characters with disabilities on TV are played by actors without disabilities. Yet it is still the norm for able-bodied actors to play characters with disabilities.

Rain Man at 30: The Good and the Bad

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  

Last  week marked the 30th anniversary of Rain Man.

Karl Knights at The Guardian:

The film has become such a shorthand, that I and every autistic person I know immediately has to caveat the statement “I’m autistic” with “I’m not Rain Man”. Autistic people are frequently met with the same question that a doctor asks Raymond in the film: “Does he have any special abilities?” Rain Man was also the birthplace of what has now become a common trope of autistic portrayals in film and TV: autistic savants. The most recent incarnation of this is Shaun Murphy, played by Freddie Highmore, in The Good Doctor. The idea that all autistic people are geniuses, or that they all have savant abilities such as extraordinary memory, is a myth, a myth that is largely alive and kicking today due to Rain Man. Yet the cultural stereotype of Raymond Babbitt, the autistic savant, persists.
...

As a beginning for autism on screen, Rain Man deserves applause. It gave autistic people a visibility that had previously been denied them. In one fell swoop Rain Man achieved almost overnight the kind of representation that parent advocacy groups had been working towards for decades. But as the dominant depiction of autism on screen, it also deserves derision. The autistic community is more than Raymond Babbitt. While this wasn’t apparent in 1988, it is clear now, and yet, 30 years on, Rain Man’s enormous influence on autistic characters on screen shows no sign of abating. Rain Man continues to affect autistic lives, whether we like it or not.

Rain Man is Thirty

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  

This past week marked the 30th anniversary of Rain Man.

Cameron Knight at The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mary Helen Richer is the executive director of the Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati, formerly called the Society for Autistic Children of Greater Cincinnati.

She said opinions of Rain Man will vary depending on who you speak with. For her, the spotlight the film shined on autism outweighs most of the stereotypes the film may have perpetuated.

"Thirty years ago, when the movie came out. No one knew what autism was," Richer said. "It catapulted autism to the forefront of awareness."
...

Richer warns that, just like Rain Man, these examples each show one person and one example of what life is like on the autism spectrum.

"There is nothing out there that shows a full view of what autism is," she said.

As for the Cincinnati favorite, Richer says it holds up as long as you know not everyone with autism is like Raymond Babbitt.

"It's a great movie," she said. "How can you not love it for the awareness it raises and for taking on a serious topic and making it accessible."

Jay McCarthy at The Guardian:

Thirty years on, as the parent of a child with autism, I view the film very differently. I found watching it again unexpectedly moving, as I identified with Charlie’s journey from frustration and bewilderment to understanding. How, I wondered, does the autism community view the movie? “Many say that Rain Man is now damaging to autism awareness, and I see their point,” says the autism advocate Chris Bonnello of Autistic Not Weird, who has Asperger’s syndrome. The film, he believes, “should be regarded as a piece of history now”. When I put this question to Bonnello’s Facebook community, views were mixed. Although some enjoyed Rain Man, many found it “dated” and “inaccurate”. One individual on the spectrum called it “the Apu of autism ... despite not being malicious in its portrayal, it’s still a poor representation and a stereotype.”

Exceptional Minds: Past and Future

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the employment of adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Many posts have discussed programs to provide them with training and experience. 

Keith Sharon reports at The Orange County Register:

In 2009, a group of about 10 parents in Sherman Oaks raised $250,000, bought nine computers, hired four teachers and started an animation/vocational school for their autistic children.

The original idea was to create a training program for autistic students after high school, since many couldn’t function in typical college settings. People on the autism spectrum often have difficulties with communication, problem-solving, recognizing social cues and time management – all challenges for college and workplace settings.

There were nine students, but the program, called “Exceptional Minds,” had no director.

The parents arranged a meeting with Ernie Merlan, a long-time animator, muralist and imagineer who had worked on Hollywood movies and Disneyland attractions such as the Indiana Jones Adventure and Toontown. They told him they wanted to rent space at Merlan Creative for their new school.

That story was a lie. They didn’t want office space, they wanted him.

...

Exceptional Minds now has 32 full-time students – local ones from areas such as Venice, Chino Hills and Grand Terrace, and several from out of state (an incoming student is from Alaska) – and 50 part-timers. It has deals with HBO, Sony, Fox and other studios.
“Hollywood isn’t altruistic,” Merlan said. “They’re going to try us out once. We had better be good.”

So far, it has been very good.

“(Hollywood) keeps coming back for more,” Merlan said.

Here’s the best thing about this program: Other businesses are starting to be inspired.
There’s an adult school in Glendale called “Uniquely Abled Academy,” and one in Santa Monica called “MindSpark.” Both work with autistic adults, and both were inspired by Exceptional Minds.

Merlan said Exceptional Minds has a formula that can be easily followed.

“We’re assuming all of our students are superheroes,” Merlan said. “They live in an alternative universe, and that’s what we’re creating. The key is to build on what they’re interested in.”

Autism Portrayals

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.   A couple of years ago, Sesame Workshop introduced an autistic character online.  Next month, Julia will be on the television program.

Sammy Caiola writes at The Sacramento Bee:

Just as “Sesame Street” announced Julia’s debut, the makers of the new “Power Rangers” movie, released last Friday, announced that Billy, the blue ranger, is on the autism spectrum. They have not released further details about what traits the character possesses, although one Vox review notes that Billy has trouble reading people’s emotions and doesn’t get his fellow Rangers’ jokes.

John Matthias, of Roseville, said he looks forward to taking his 15-year-old autistic son Wesley to see the film. In particular, he’s curious to see if Wesley, who has trouble forming full sentences but loves going to the movies, will connect with the autistic character.

...
Matthias hopes the film will at least help stop the bullying that many autistic teenagers experience. About 63 percent of students on the autism spectrum experience bullying at some point, according to a 2014 study from the Interactive Autism Network.

...

When most people think of autism in popular culture, they still remember the 1988 film “Rain Man,” said Jack Gallagher, a Sacramento actor and playwright whose 21-year-old son, Liam, has autism. The iconic Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman film, which won the Academy Award for best picture, helped raise awareness about autism, he said, but it was also misleading.

“If I were portraying someone on the spectrum, I would portray them as a normal person with some quirky social issues, and not as someone who can count every toothpick on the floor or tell you every president’s middle name,” Gallagher said, referring to a scene from the film. “For a long time there were a lot of stereotypical qualities that were given to folks on the spectrum, and now people understand that’s not true. I hope these characterizations are more accurate than they used to be.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article141346728.html#storylink=cpy