Rain Main & Autism

I saw this film for the first time yesterday, 22 years late I know!

Dustin Hoffman is immense, as is Tom Cruise. I found this a very moving film, whilst witty and funny in some places. Absolute classic, and I think its great at conveying the 'brotherly love' message and perhaps more so that health is wealth.

I have a little cousin who suffers from quite bad autism. She is the cutest little thing, the way she grinds her teeth and flaps her hands (very characteristic of autism). I really feel for her parents though, because as hard as they try to make eye contact for more than a few seconds with their daughter, nothing. When I would play with her, I tried my best to get her to look at me, but it sadly never happened for any significant period of time. Put the TV on though, and she'll run to it, laugh, jump and flap her hands.

I think sometimes its easy to forget what a lifetime illness really entails for the affected person, and that some simply don't even have the chance for a normal life. Makes you appreciate the lot you have all the more.

If you watched it on Sky Anytime (as I did for the first time last night - spooky), watch the documentary 'The Real Rain Man' too. It's very good.

Autism is harsh to live with. So many different forms and traits exhibited by those that suffer. Families need support but have to fight to get it when they shouldn't.

Unless you have experienced a life long illness its hard to appreciate what you've got aand there's always someone worse off than you

Life is for living and getting the best from what you have

The mental illnesses get a bum deal from the NHS i feel. Maria often mentioned how crap mental health wards were when she had to visit them - worse than some prisons she had seen on the TV.

How are you supposed to get better when the environment around you is as depressed as you feel and things?

Anyway, I havn't had any contact with anyone autistic, but there was a lad in my computing classes at college who had some behavioural traits of someone with aspergers. He was a good lad, but took everything quite seriously. I spoke to him alot though, and sometimes he was kind enough to help me out a little, but i never asked anything of him

[Messie]

Kim Peek, the real man on whom the film was losely based, died less than a month ago.

Obituary here

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle6965115.ece

There is some ongoing doubt and discussion about his diagnosis of autism

My 9yr old son is diagnosed with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). We are fortunate as he appears to be mildly affected by it but as he is getting older the difference between him and his schoolfriends is becoming more apparent.
If you fancy reading an interesting book which gives a good insight as to how their brain works try " The curious incident of the dog in the night "
It reads as if written by an autistic young lad. Very funny in places but a great way of getting the message across of the way ASD chidren interpretate things.

Im diagnosed with aspergers, although i have nearly all the classic symtoms i personally disagree with the diagnosis, as i have one key skill suffers dont have (i think), just another case of doctors over diagnosing a condition i feel.

Saying that i have nearly all the symtoms, I do find it near impossible to make friends, i much prefer people online than in real life. I also understand the eye contact thing too, theres people ive known indirectly for months/ years without directly looking at them, to the point where i recognise their voice but not their face!

Originally Posted by Alpinestarhero

Anyway, I havn't had any contact with anyone autistic, but there was a lad in my computing classes at college who had some behavioural traits of someone with aspergers. He was a good lad, but took everything quite seriously. I spoke to him alot though, and sometimes he was kind enough to help me out a little, but i never asked anything of him

Aspergers is fun means you can be a complete **** and get away with it, be boring not being able to have a laugh and joke tho.

Autism affects more people than you realise because the people with the mild forms can go undiagnosed for many years or all there life, but autist people get great at one thing which like rain man and maths you would just love to be able to count cards like him wouldnt you really im not quick enough to use it in a casino unnoticed yet.

[Richie]

I just watched the Real Rain Man, quite a touching story, and now just found out that Kim has passed.
Tis a strange world. rip Rain Man.

Originally Posted by sunshine

Aspergers is fun means you can be a complete **** and get away with it, be boring not being able to have a laugh and joke tho.

Autism affects more people than you realise because the people with the mild forms can go undiagnosed for many years or all there life, but autist people get great at one thing which like rain man and maths you would just love to be able to count cards like him wouldnt you really im not quick enough to use it in a casino unnoticed yet.

I'm gonna say my piece here and gonna try and do it without coming across as a total b1tch.

Aspergers is fun - No way in a million years would anyone who has aspergers or a child with aspergers ever say it is fun.

Autistic people get great at one thing - some do but only a small minority, a very common misconception. Most people with autism struggle every day to do the normal daily things that everyone else takes for granted. Even if some do have a 'special talent' in most cases this will be totally useless in everyday life.

My son is 13 years old and autistic, having been diagnosed at 3 1/2. As he has got older we do now have a fair few good days, but life is always hard for us. He is only just learning to shower himself, he has major problems with food and can only eat in a select few places, he has a major fear of high ceilings, he can't eat if he sees pink, his emotional age is around 8 years at the moment but I wouldn't change him because the autism is part of who he is. His 'special talent' is a fantastic memory for things that interest him which is cars and has been since he was 4 years old. He knows every make of car, the horse power etc. and will talk for hours on end about cars. Not a conversation, just him talking and you pretending to be interested but to be honest he doesn;t care if you are or not. However, this doesn't transfer very easily into real life and he asked me the other day what did I think he could do when he leaves school which involves cars and I just didn't know what to tell him.

Sorry if I've gone on, but sometimes the public misconceptions about autism get to me and most people just don't appreciate the impact it has on our lives.