Dr. Gregory House: Autistic Or Just A Dick? On Tuesday, November 16th, 2004, American television network Fox premiered a medical TV drama called House M.D. focusing on one man: Dr. Gregory House. He is an established and renowned diagnostician within his field, with years of experience treating cases that other professionals have deemed unsolvable. Dr. House is also an autistic person– undiagnosed but autistic nonetheless. He fits the DSM-5 criteria and the DSM-4, the diagnostic tool used at the time. Consequently, many autistic fans of the show have related directly to his struggles, including myself. To argue the case for House being autistic, we must first talk about the diagnostic tools previously mentioned. To start, the tool used when …show more content…
Here, the “abnormal” section is helpful, as it includes the end of the spectrum that predisposes someone to excess eye contact. On top of that, House exhibits near-constant refusal to adhere to social norms, stating in season 3, episode 4 ‘Lines In The Sand’ that he does not pity his severely autistic patient, and instead envies him for the ability to “..live a life free of the mind-numbing social niceties.” (House MD) Additionally, he has qualities found in subsections a2, a3, and a4. Brief examples of each, in order, include his dependence on Wilson (who has been around him so long he’s accustomed to House’s idiosyncrasies) as his only reliable relationship. It should be noted that section B lends itself heavily to children who are going through the diagnostic process since autism is commonly recognized at a young age rather than later in life. Since direct information on House’s childhood is so sparse and unrelated –mostly off-hand comments or jokes with no real proof– the evidence needed for section B is too unreliable to draw direct conclusions. It could be argued that House displays echolalia (repetitive vocal stimming and patterns) through his insistence that everyone lies, but this is moreso a personal philosophy that he reiterates. Gregory House is autistic. There are arguments for it and against it, but he sits comfortably on his end of the spectrum; one influenced by a lifetime of intense trauma and general struggle. Unlike the stereotypical portrayal of autism where an individual is completely dependent on (and usually a burden to) their family, it is a realistic depiction of an autistic adult who has been forced through internal and social pressure to adapt to a world unsupportive of
Intellectual disability or “mental retardation” is defined by the IDEA as, ‘significantly sub average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance’ (Special Education Guide, 2013-2017). Autism is defined by the IDEA as, ‘a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance’ (Special Education Guide, 2013-2017). Radio showed many signs of impairment in social interactions. He was scared to talk to new people and he froze up in new environments that he was not familiar with. He also had a hard time developing relationships with his peers and he lacked social
Whilst the concept of autism and what it means to be autistic is still widely unrecognised by many, Mark Haddon’s use of conventions of prose fiction and language amplifies the distinctive qualities of the text. Haddon exemplifies key themes such as the struggle to become independent, the nature of difference and the disorder of life through the strategic placement of literary devices.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder that can be characterized by many different symptoms, and can be shown in various degrees of severity. Raymond, in the film Rain Man, is autistic. There are many examples within the movie in which by knowing the criteria stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) it is evident that Raymond is autistic. Autism is a disorder that affects people all around the world, no matter the race or ethnicity. Raymond is very special to those around him, and although his brother didn’t know he existed previous to their father’s death, by the end of the movie it is evident that Raymond is important to Charlie.
...s and the response of the people around them seems to be trivialized and sometimes even glorified. In the case of Adrian Monk, his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was often depicted as a funny little idiosyncrasy, annoying at worst, and only rarely shown as something that was bringing misery to the character’s life. In the case of Dr. Gregory House, his Antisocial Personality Disorder is depicted as a side-effect of his brilliant mind or an annoying, if rude, personality quirk, and sometimes even dismissed as an effect of his addiction instead of the psychological disorder that it truly seems to be. It seems as though the entertainment industry is more willing to take risks with flawed characters headlining shows, however, as is often the case on TV and in the movies, it still doesn’t truly depict the world as it truly is for people suffering from these disorders.
Specifically, it mentions that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often comorbid with ID (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is unlikely, however, that Arnie’s ID is co-occurring with ASD. The DSM 5 criteria for ASD include problems with social interaction and communication and restricted, repetitive behavior. Symptoms of ASD need to be apparent during early development and must cause significant impairment in normal functioning. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Arnie’s deficits in social interaction are significant and could be considered characteristic of a child with Autism. However, the DSM 5 specifies that restricted, repetitive behavior requires at least two indications including repetitive motor movements or speech, insistence on sameness, severe fixations, or a high or low sensory input. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Arnie only clearly displays repetitive speech, or echolalia. He loves to repeat others, like when Gilbert says his father is dead at the dinner table, Arnie yells out “Dad’s dead!” over and over, despite his family’s contempt. This could possibly be a misconception about ID. Arnie’s life is constantly changing, yet he appears content with that. He has no evident fixations and does not appear to be sensitive to any stimuli. His social deficiencies come from his Intellectual Disability, so it seems incorrect to also diagnose
For example, our text describes two symptoms of ASD; 1. social communications and interactions 2. and limited patterns of repetitive behavior, interests, and or activities. This was all evident in the “Neurotypical” documentary. For example, Nicholas was unable to interact with girls or form relationships he believes he has nothing in common with them. Wolf suggested that autistic children are good at mimicking others and that nonverbal cues are important to watch out for. Violet, on the other hand, has a habit of repeating behaviors; she will repeat anything her parents say. In the text it also says severity of language problems vary child to child. In Violets case she does not fall under the mute category but instead she is able to speak in a few words, cry, and even laugh. Our text introduces the term for repetitive speech, echolalia. Violet tends to repeat a word or words her parents say either right away when she hears it or later
How far would a parent go to ensure the comfort of their child? What if the child had a mental disability? Children with autism can be difficult to deal with and it can be easy to misconstrue a parent’s intentions toward their disabled child. According to Petra Kuppers’s essay “Dancing Autism: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Bedlam,” an autistic child has a, “distanced view of the rules that make up love, relationships, need, and care,” and therefore can be more challenging to raise (Kuppers 193). Christopher is one such example of an autistic child. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher’s father is portrayed in a negative light, but actually proves himself to be an outstanding father.
Herman Melville's short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” is about a lawyer who hires a copyist, named Bartleby, who politely refuses to not work. While most employers would not tolerate an employee who continually prefers to do less work, this lawyer finds it hard to dismiss or discipline his scrivener and allows his insubordination to go on for an extended period of time. Bartleby shows great acquisition at copying documents and works diligently all day and night. The lawyer soon discovers that Bartleby has begun to reside in his office and never leaves. After only a few days of working there, he expresses his preference to not aid in group read outs of the papers copied, a common scrivener duty. When asked to do simple tasks he responds with, “I'd prefer not.” He uses this phrase repeatedly throughout the story. And, he appears unaware of the consequences of his in-actions and the emotional state he arouses in those around him. Some critics of the story suggest that there is a correlation between Bartleby's behavior and Herman Melville's current state of mind or “that Bartleby represents not just Melville but the nineteenth-century American artist in conflict with his environment” (Felheim 370). In the twenty-first century, when a person cannot readily adapt to their environment it is commonly diagnosed as autism. Bartleby's ability to work well in precisely defined structural working conditions, his repetitive speech and behavioral patterns, and his inability to understand or show concern for the mental distress of those around him demonstrations the characteristics commonly seen in a person with Autism Disorder. Autism is defined as a behavioral disorder which is shown through “qualitative impairments in social comm...
The movie Rain Man enforces the belief that a majority of individuals that possess exceptional intellectual qualities are often overlooked because of a disability or a mask that hides their abilities. In the movie, Dustin Hofman, the director, introduces the viewers to the character of Raymond Rabbit, who is suffering from the autistic disorder. Raymond also suffers from Savant syndrome, a brain dysfunction that may degenerate to dementia. Rabbit exuded amazing memory in particular elements. However, he experienced communication disorders associated with autism, whereby he was unable of expressing himself in some instances. Thus, Rabbit would demonstrate memory for baseball statistics, ability to count cards, or the phonebook. However, his
In his essay "Autism and Culture," Joseph Straus discusses the recreation of the concept of autism as a cultural and social category rather than a medical one. He also discusses how, as autistic community has emerged, autistic people have begun to look for historical figures that could be identified as autistic. Straus calls this practice "extremely problematic" (Straus 464) because he feels that the concept of autism is a modern social construction and that classifying historical figures as autistic denies this. However, associating prominent historical figures with autism has the benefit of providing autistic communities with role models and a sense of community through their shared history. Attempting to diagnose historical figures with
At one point or another we’ve all probably heard the name, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and/or Nikola Tesla in our academic careers. For the few who didn’t pay much attention when going over the work of these men, all three were practically “rock stars” in their respective fields of physics and engineering. So, what about names like Vincent van Gogh, Mark Twain, Mozart and Bill Gates? What could three men who helped shape our understanding of the world have in common with a post-Impressionist painter, an American author, distinguished composer, and multi-billionaire? The answer…autism. Through retrospective diagnosis and research, all seven men have been speculated to have had autism or display symptoms and behavioral traits of autistic individuals.
Every year doctors diagnose thousands of adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to the growing awareness of autism and recent developments in technology, scientists and doctors can now discover and observe the effects of autism on society, and people. Starting with its discovery, researchers have been able to diagnose people more effectively. Doctors are beginning to discover what causes this disorder, and are currently trying to find ways to prevent and treat it. Many places have opened their doors to people with this disorder, creating autistic friendly environments where people are patient and understanding. Schools have also become accommodating to autistic children and adults. Autism also puts great strain on family and home lives.
Autism savant is “individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills not exhibited by most people” In his case a rarity of high functional autism. Let’s analyzed the criteria for someone with autism. I will display the three criteria’s that are listed in the DSM-5 “Autism Spectrum Disorder” the first criteria is deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. Meaning having the inability to communicate effectively with a variety of different individuals. At the custody scene the doctor asked Raymond a series of questions. The specific questions that the doctor kept asking Raymond was “Do you want to stay with your brother Charles?” Raymond was unable to make the distinction between staying with his brother or staying at the mental facility with Dr. Bruner. Raymond kept repeating the same question and rocking back and forth. Another instance is when Raymond was at the casino talking to a lady, but was unable to answer any of her questions with a direct response. As you can see he was unable to communicate effectively and engaged in a conversation beyond a few words such as “yeah, and I don’t
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.
Two to six children out of every thousand will end up with Autism. Autism is one of the fastest growing disorders with a great amount of studies being put behind it. With its vast amount of different signs and symptoms, different forms, how its treated, and arguments about how exactly the disorder came to be , Austin can very well be one of the most confusing, and researched disorders, for its a disorder that stirs up tons of questions but yet gets hardly any answers. Autism is usually developed between ages of one and three, it effects communication and how the child interacts with others. It is defined by behaviors of the child and “ spectrum disorders” that re different with each person. (About Autism, 2008, para 1). Symptoms of autism can very in many different ways, and even different categories. Take the category of social interaction and relationships symptoms include : non verbal communication development problems such as , eye - to - eye gazing, body language, and facial expressions, failure to make friends with people their own age, lack of interest, and lack of empathy. The category for verbal and non verbal symptoms include : Delay or lack when learning to talk, about forty person of people with autism never speak, problems with starting, and keeping conversations, repetitive use of language, and difficulty understanding what someone is saying. Finally the category of interests and play include : unusual focus on pieces, preoccupation on certain topics, a need for the same routine, and stereotyped behaviors like hand flapping and body rocking.