Intellectual Disability In The Film I Am Sam

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Disability in Film: I Am Sam Krystal Parker New Jersey City University Abstract I Am Sam follows the ups and downs of a multiple-disabled man named Sam Dawson. Sam expresses characteristics of both an Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The movie portrays both positive and negative attributions associated with living with these disabilities. Although cheerful, innocent, and outgoing, Sam is also painted as unintelligent, unmanageable, incapable, and child-like. Multiple-disabled is described as possessing more than one classification under IDEA 2004, directly affecting an individual’s educational needs. In the movie I Am Sam, main character Sam Dawson is identified as having an Intellectual disability, characterized …show more content…

Having minimal knowledge of children, access to resources, and knowledge of own self-care, Sam had difficulty keeping up with simple things, like adequately feeding a newborn child. He had to reach out to his neighbor for assistance, who taught him to time the feedings along with specific television shows he watches. Additionally, every Wednesday is movie night, Thursdays are IHOP (with French pancakes, fruit on the side), and Sam I Am is the daily selection for a bedtime story. Unfortunately, though very functional, Sam struggles with even just the slightest deviation from his regular routine. For example, one evening Lucy brought home the book Stellaluna and Sam struggled to read aloud to his daughter. He continued to try his best, despite his obvious frustrations, in order to make Lucy happy. A more extreme example comes later in the film when Sam takes Lucy to a new restaurant for dinner on IHOP night. Although he just wanted to make Lucy happy and let her try new things, Sam began screaming in the restaurant upon learning they do not serve his favorite “French pancakes”. Sam’s relentless need for routine, though beneficial, can prove to be difficult to …show more content…

As a special educator, I would not solely be able to supply all that a student like Sam would need. Sam would not just require special education services (replacement versus supplementary), but a one-on-one aide, group and individual counseling, and much more. A student like Sam requires teamwork and collaboration to ensure he is meeting developmental milestones and maintaining a sense of social awareness and academic success. A student with both an intellectual disability and ASD also requires a vast amount of attention and care at home. These disabilities require routine, structure, repetition, and care. Unfortunately for Sam, his parents did not know how to care for him and thus had the child institutionalized. Now although that is not common practice today, it is not rare to see that a parent does not know how, or is unwilling to acknowledge their child’s disability. My job would be to implement routine and structure within the classroom, provide a loving, accepting, and safe environment, and to ensure the student is given schoolwork specific to his/her developmental

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