Media Review Paper Rain Man Autistic Savant Aaron M Griesel What’s the BIG idea? In 1988 Barry Levinson released a movie called Rain Man. This movie is about a man (Charlie Babbitt) who after the death of his father discovers that he has a brother (Raymond Babbitt). He soon learns that his brother is actually autistic, but has an amazing memory and ability to recall dates perfectly throughout his life and can tell you what day of the week a date will fall on in the future or recall what day of the week a date fell on in the past with little effort. This is known as Savant Syndrome, and Raymond is considered an Autistic Savant because of his apparent autism. In this essay you will learn about what an Autistic Savant is and why savant …show more content…
Roughly ten percent, or one in ten, of autistic individuals are savants, which is why people most commonly associate a savant with being autistic, however a more accurate and inclusive term for this would be “Savant Syndrome”. This is because Autistic Savant only includes Savants from the Autistic realm of things. Savant is derived from the French word “savoir” meaning to know. A person with Savant Syndrome has exceptional skills in a certain field of study, although they are often unable to take care of …show more content…
In the terminal of the airport he decides that he will not ride on the plane because it is “unsafe.” He has read or seen multiple news reports and recalls exactly when and where each airline company has crashed and because of this he decides that flying on airplanes is a dangerous activity. Raymond likely reacts to the fire alarm in this way because his sense of hearing is “turned up” too much while other senses don’t have enough volume to help him realize that the sound is not going to hurt him. He probably feels as if the sound is ripping through every fiber of his being and if he doesn’t get away from that sound something terrible will
The movie begins with self-centered, materialistic Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), learning the death of his father. To settle his dad’s estate, he and his business partner/girlfriend, Susanna (Valeria Golino) travel to his home town Cincinnati. While he was hoping to inherit all of his dad’s estate, all he got was a car and a collection of rosebushes that he simply has no use for. The remaining $3 million fortune was put into a trust for an unnamed beneficiary. Charlie demands to know the identity of the beneficiary and finds out that it is a mental hospital where his long-lost autistic brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) resides with a caretaker, Dr. Bruner (Gerald R. Molen).
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.
An autistic savant, historically described as an idiot savant, is a person with both autism and savant syndrome. Savant syndrome describes a person having a developmental or mental handicap of some sort with extraordinary mental abilities not found in most people.
This scene may sound weird to neurologically-typical (NT), or “normal”, people, but it does demonstrate the coping strategies of people with autism, as exhibited through this scene from Rain Man. Charlie Babbitt, a neurologically typical adult, does not understand how his brother, Raymond Babbitt, who is a high-functioning autistic, functions in his little world that he has created. Manifestations of autism such as this indicate to people how an autistic was seen as “like a wolf” (Pollak 258) in older definitions. Recently, though, people are beginning to understand that the problem is organic, or biologically based, as opposed to the psychogenic, or psychologically based, hypothesis of the past. With the release of Rain Man came the increased understanding of autistics and a willingness to find out what autistics are thinking, thus i...
Not all autistic persons are savants. There are a few numbers of people who have the extraordinary skills of Raymond Babbitt. People with savant skills at the level of Raymond Babbitt are exceedingly rare (but they do exist). Finally, not all savants are autistic. While the frequency of savant syndrome is much lower among the mentally retarded than among autistics, mental retardation is a much more common condition. The point is while both are developmental disabilities; mental retardation and autism are separate conditions. There can be some similarities, and some mentally retarded persons can have some autistic features, but in general those two conditions require separate approaches. The savant abilities are grafted onto the basic autism or mental retardation, and savant syndrome exists as a special condition in either of those two disabilities.
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
6) Autism and Savant Syndrome, , web paper by Sural Shah. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Shah.html#2 7) Considerations of Individuality in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism, , web paper by Lacey Tucker. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro99/web2/Tucker.html 8) Diagnosis: Autism, , Mothering Magazine, Patricia S. Lemer, 2003.
The social model is favored by most disability activists over the medical model, which views disability as individual defects. While the social model is in many ways more helpful and empowering for disabled people than the medical model, claiming that autism is only a socially constructed category and thus that historical figures cannot be viewed as autistic denies the distinctive ways in which autistic people experience and interact with the world. Fundamental neurological differences can be recognized and accepted without viewing these differences as a deficit. Like in many situations, the practice of diagnosing historical figures as autistic should be examined with a mix of the medical and social models. The social model informs the way that historical figures are identified as autistic and their experiences as autistic people is recognized as different from the experiences of autistic people today, while the medical model describes the similarity between people who, while they are differently disabled because they live or lived in different societies, share the same neurological condition. Rather than being "abandoned," the practice of labeling historical
What exactly is Autism? Well it is one of many mental conditions that affects precisely one in 110 kids in the U.S. More specifically, Autism is a developmental disability. In other
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
Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is an uplifting and comical film, based in the 1980s, in America. Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is a car dealer, who discovers in the shadow of his father’s death that he has an autistic brother called Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie’s vulgar attempt to seize his late father’s inheritance from his brother, entices the audience into a journey of self-discovery, culture and self-awareness.
Autism spectrum disorder, as well as Asperger’s syndrome (a higher functioning branch of Autism spectrum disorder), is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to comprehend information, handle social situations, and that person’s own behavioral personality. Autism spectrum disorder is not something that can be caught, it is speculated to be a genetic condition that passes down through heredity. Although a few people wit...
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.
What is Autism? People are quick to label people as Autistic but very rarely understand what it means though they may nod their head and say "ohh makes sense". Autism - also know as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder- is a complex developmental disorder affecting primarily ones communication and social interaction skills. Meaning they have difficulties communicating effectively or even at all. They struggle in social setting and don 't typically excel in social games or activities.
I know autism when I see it. For those not familiar with autism, Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, defines autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees (hence, a “Spectrum” that includes both low- and high-functioning individuals), by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.