The Boy Who Could Fly - 1986
Eric became mute after his parents died when he was 5. Later, when he is a teenager, he finally speaks to a girl... perfectly. This is totally unrealistic with mutism.
This movie is about a mute boy with Autism who can fly. I would rate it a 4/10. This movie is very fun to watch; but, poor representation.
Eric also ends up flying over the town at the end. Not in a dream, in reality. This perpetuates the idea that Autism is a superpower, when it is a serious disability.
Rain Man - 1988
As an Autistic Savant, I am very grateful for this movie because it is how I learned that I fit the criteria. I never knew people with Autism could have that ability.
This movie is about a man with Autism and Savant Syndrome who goes gambling. I would rate it an 9/10. This movie is great representation.
Only 1% of Autistics have Savant Syndrome; so, most people don't think this movie is good representation. I, on the contrary, will always love this movie.
Forrest Gump - 1994
Jenny has a sexual encounter with Forrest without properly warning him what would happen. When she has their baby, he is blindsided.
This movie is about a man with an intellectual disability who tells his life story. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is nearly perfect.
Jenny's treatment of Forrest is entirely inappropriate and demeaning. This is the only problem with the movie.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape - 1998
Johnny Depp's character is a bit off putting. I think it might just be Johnny Depp himself. He isn't friendly and is quite mean to Arnie throughout.
This movie is about a boy with Autism who lives with his large family. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is great representation. Leonardo DiCaprio did amazing.
This movie is perfect for its time. Most kids with intellectual disabilities were in care homes at the time. It is nice that the family takes care of Arnie no matter what.
Molly - 1999
Molly is forced to move out of her care home and into her brother's home. He does not properly care for her. He forces her to have the procedure.
This movie is about a woman with Autism who undergoes a procedure to make her smarter. I would rate it a 4/10. This movie is rude to the intellectually disabled.
One of the plot points is that Molly falls in love with her brother. This is very upsetting. She also exposes herself to him twice. It sometimes feels incestuous.
i am sam - 2001
When Sam's daughter, Lucy turns seven, she starts to become more advanced than her father. This causes him to lose custody of her.
This movie is about a man with Autism who has to fight to keep his baby I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is very funny and great to watch.
This can be a difficult watch for anyone who has ever had to stay somewhere they didn't want to be. Lucy even runs away from her new home.
Miracle Run - 2004
Zac Efron does an amazing job playing an Autistic character. Mary Louise-Parker also does great representing life as a mom with nonverbal children.
This movie is about twin boys with Autism who grow up in regular classes. I would rate it an 9/10. This movie is great representation.
The movie does a great job showing what overstimulation can be caused by and the outcomes of it. It also gives hope to those watching.
Glee - 2009-2015
Artie Abrams is a character with spinal cord injury caused paraplegia. He is played by a non-disabled actor who doesn't use a wheelchair.
This show is about students of all types in a glee club. I would rate it a 3/10. This show is very offensive throughout.
There a dream sequences where Artie walks. This can be very confusing for the viewers. It is also not fair to actually disabled actors.
Ocean Heaven - 2010
David is intellectually disabled and nonverbal. He is very reliant on his father for his basic needs. When his father finds out he has cancer, he attempts drowning.
This movie is about a man with Autism who has to learn to be independent. I would rate it an 8/10. This movie is very sad; but, amazing to watch.
When the father's plan fails, he decides he must find a new place for his son to live when he dies. He also teaches him basic life skills. This movie is beautiful.
How to Train Your Dragon- 2010
Hiccup and Toothless share a limb difference. Hiccup lost his leg due to a battle with a different dragon. Toothless loses part of his tail from being injured by Hiccup.
This movie is about a boy without a leg that befriends a dragon without a wing. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is perfect for teaching kids about disabilities.
This movie is great representation of those who require a prosthetic of some sort. It is great for older kids who understand fantasy.
Touch - 2012-2013
Kiefer Sutherland can be very mean in this show. He doesn't support his son and takes advantage of his savant skill (which isn't even a real skill).
This show is about a boy with Autism and Savant Syndrome who doesn't speak. I would rate it a 5/10. This show is incredibly bad representation.
Jacob's savant skill is being able to predict the future based on math. This is science fiction. It is terrible to make it seem like savant-ism is a super power.
Finding Dory - 2016
Dory struggles with her memory as she tries to find her family. This can be emotional for those who have lost their own family members.
This movie is about a fish that has short-term memory loss. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is perfect for teaching kids about disabilities.
There are some scary parts like the truck chase scene. Dory also gets trapped in the pipes and can't remember the way out.
Please Stand By - 2017
Wendy is hyperlexic and loves writing about Star Trek. If you don't like hearing about Star Trek, you won't like this movie.
This movie is about a woman with Autism who runs away to Los Angeles. I would rate it a 7/10. This movie is very fun to watch; but, poor representation.
I don't like that Wendy only has meltdowns when she doesn't get her way. This is more similar to a tantrum. She doesn't meltdown when overstimulated.
The Good Doctor - 2017-2024
Shaun is a savant in the field of math. He also also has an eidetic memory. As someone who has a different form of retentive memory, I cannot relate to Shaun at all.
This movie is about a man with Autism who becomes a doctor. I would rate it a 5/10. This show is very poor representation of Savant Syndrome.
The "Autism accent" that Freddie Highmore puts on is so offensive. It doesn't make sense with how speech impediments naturally sound.
Language Arts - 2020
Charles is not a good father to his disabled son. He puts him in an insufficient care home and doesn't support his stims properly.
This movie is about a man with a son who has Autism and is nonverbal. I would rate it a 5/10. This movie is very upsetting to watch.
There is a very upsetting scene where a disabled boy from Charles' childhood gets sexually assaulted. Charles' mother lies and says he died from it.
Music - 2021
I had to skip all of the dream-dance sequences because of the flashing lights. It is also very overstimulating (visually and audibly).
This movie is about a girl with Autism who suddenly has to live with her sister. I would rate it a 4/10. This movie is poor representation of severe Autism.
There is also the controversy on whether it is okay to cast a non disabled person as the role of Music, a severely intellectually disabled young girl.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo - 2022-2022
Woo Young Woo has Savant Syndrome in the field of math. She also has an eidetic memory. As a savant, I love this show.
This show is about a woman with Autism who works as an attorney. I would rate it an 8/10. This show is incredible representation.
The only annoying part of the show is the repetitive cut-scenes when Woo is with the man she is in love with. They use the same scene over and over.