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 a 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.
What About Bob? - 1991
As someone with severe OCD, I love how Bill Murray depicts contamination OCD. I watch this movie frequently.
This movie is about a man with OCD who travels to see his therapist. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is incredibly funny.
The only issue is that this movie sensationalizes mental illness. When Dr. Marvin comes out of his coma-state at the end, it is very unrealistic.
Benny and Joon - 1993
Joon is very prone to getting in trouble due to her mental illness. She doesn't seem to have a sense of danger or reality.
This movie is about a woman with Schizophrenia who falls in love with a man with a personality disorder. I would rate it an 8.5/10. It is a great movie.
Benny seems to be attracted to Joon because of her mental illness. He doesn't take advantage of her, he encourages her.
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.
As Good as it Gets - 1997
When Melvin's neighbor is hate crimed, he is forced to dog-sit for him. Melvin ends up loving the dog and wanting to keep it.
This movie is about a man with OCD who has to dog-sit for his gay neighbor. I would rate it a 7/10. This movie is very funny but poor representation.
Melvin is very mean to everyone, even the woman he loves. Having psychological problems doesn't excuse his behavior.
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 an 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.
Monk - 2002-2009
When Adrian Monk's wife, Trudy, is murdered, his severe OCD leaves him bedridden for 3 years. His ability to keep going is admirable.
This movie is about a man with OCD who is a detective. I would rate it a 9.5/10. This show is very funny and great to watch.
As someone who experiences it, Adrian is an incredibly good representation of severely debilitating OCD.
Finding Nemo- 2003
Nemo is great representation of what living with a limb deformity is like. He has to adapt with how he swims and holds items.
This movie is about a fish with a limb (fin) deformity. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is perfect. The animation can be scary though.
This movie can make you very scared of sharks. Bruce the shark was definitely in my childhood nightmares.
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.
Hawking - 2004
For some reason, the movie leaves out the fact that Steven was good friends with Jeffery Epstein and went to the island.
This movie is about a man with ALS (Steven Hawking). I would rate it a 7/10. This movie isn't accurate to Steven's real-life.
Other than the fact that Steven was a terrible man, this movie was pretty enjoyable. It can be hard to look past, though.
Front of the Class - 2008
I like that the main character doesn't have coprolalia (swearing/
inappropriate tics) but still has severely disabling Tourette's.
This movie is about a boy with Tourette Syndrome who becomes a teacher. I would rate it a 9/10. This movie is great representation.
Only 10-15% of people with Tourette's have coprolalia, making this movie more relatable to the majority of the Tourette's community.
Adam- 2009
When Adam tries to flirt with his neighbor, Beth, he says very rude and intrusive things. The things he says to her makes it seem like all Autistics are rude.
This movie is about a man with Aspergers (Autism) who attempts to start a relationship. I would rate it a 3/10. This movie is terrible representation.
Adam does not have an intellectual disability, in fact, he is very smart. He just isn't socially aware. His character is just very cringe to watch socialize.
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.
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.
The Road Within - 2014
As someone with severe OCD I give that plot line an 8/10 (the actor accidentally touches his face with gloves multiple times).
This movie is about a boy with Tourette Syndrome who runs away from a care facility with a girl with anorexia and a boy with OCD.
As someone with Tourette's I give it a 6/10. The character is very dramatized and mostly has coprolalia (swearing/ inappropriate tics).
Daredevil - 2015-2025
I don't like that Matt lies to his friends about not being completely blind. This is very manipulative. He takes advantage of them.
This show is about a boy who is blind who grows up to fight crime. I would rate it a 5/10. This show is very slow paced.
Charlie Cox does a good job acting blind. Even when he has to act fully blind when Matt is in public.
Fundamentals of Caring - 2016
Trevor has a very pessimistic view of life and his disability. His attitude can be very frustrating throughout the movie. Paul Rudd did a great job, though.
This movie is about a boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who goes on a road trip with his caretaker. I would rate it a 7/10. This movie is a little difficult to watch.
I don't like that they pick up a hitch hiker when Trevor is severely disabled. You can't trust people with expensive equipment and medications like that.
Dr Strange - 2016
There is a lot of flashing lights and image skipping. The animated parts can be difficult for photo-sensitive viewers. The plot is great, though.
This movie is about a man that suffers nerve damage in his hands from a car accident. I would rate it a 7/10. This movie can be very overwhelming.
Benedict Cumberbatch does a great job depicting nerve damage and chronic pain. Even when he learns magic, he still suffers from his accident.
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.
Split - 2016
People with DID are not inherently dangerous. Of course it is possible for someone with DID to be homicidal; but, it is not normal.
This movie is about a man with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) that kills people. I would rate it a 0/10. This movie is horrible.
This movie did the same thing for people with DID as Jaws did for sharks. It makes them out to be monsters. DID is a mental illness, it doesn't cause murder.
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.
Love, Kennedy - 2017
I have never met someone with Batten Disease, so I can't speak from first hand experience; but, this movie was perfectly emotional and heartbreaking.
This movie is about a girl battling Batten Disease. I would rate it a 7/10. This movie is very educational of what Batten warriors go through.
If you don't believe in God, you probably won't enjoy this movie. Religion is one of the main plot points of this movie. It can feel a little preachy at times.
Atypical - 2017-2021
I was unable to go to college due to the lack of disability accommodations; so, I can't speak on college experience when it comes to Autism.
This show is about a boy with Autism who tries to find love and go to Antarctica. I would rate it a 2/10. This show is very awkward and not at all fun to watch.
I don't like how Sam treats people and how his family treats him. Casey is incredibly disrespectful. The Gardners are not good parental examples at all.
The Peanut Butter Falcon - 2019
The movie is almost entirely fighting. If you don't like people fighting, don't watch this movie. I definitely won't be watching it again.
This movie is about a boy with Down Syndrome who runs away to become a wrestler. I would rate it a 5/10. This movie is very odd. Shia LeBeouf is pretty scary at times.
I like that they don't infantilize Zak. He is shown as very competent and excited by what they are doing. His character is good representation.
Joker- 2019
Arthur is very poor representation of this condition. As someone who suffers from this condition as a symptom, I do not relate to Arthur.
This movie is about a man with Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), laughing when you don't want to. I would rate it an 8/10. This movie is very good.
PBA does not make you a murderer. It is a neurological condition that can be a symptom of other things like PANDAS/PANS, stroke, brain injury, etc.
The Healing Powers of Dude - 2020-2020
Noah represents social anxiety very well. The actor also experiences anxiety; so, it comes across very genuine.
This show is about a boy with social anxiety disorder who goes to school with his service dog, Dude. I would rate it a 7.5/10. This show is very cute.
This is a great show to introduce talking about anxiety with kids. The only problem is the lack of control over Dude. He goes off leash and causes accidents.
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.
See For Me - 2021
Sophie is forced to use a phone call service to find her way around with intruders lurking. There is a lot of death and gore in this movie.
This movie is about a blind woman with who house-sits a house that gets broken into. I would rate it a 5/10. This movie is kind of boring.
Sophie, a character with only light perception is played by an actress who is legally blind from suffering a stroke. It is great blindness representation.
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.
As We See It - 2022-2022
I like that all the actors are Autistic themselves. I don't like that all the characters are incredibly unlikable. It is hard to get through the entire thing.
This show is about a adults with Autism who live together. I would rate it a 4/10. This show is difficult to watch. The characters are not socially inept.
Jack and Violet are especially difficult to empathize with. Harrison is nice and it is good to see headphone use awareness with his character.
Love on the Spectrum US - 2022-2025
The director of this show sets everyone with a disability up for embarrassment. Most of the scenes are incredibly cringe and hard to watch.
This show is about adults with Autism who try to find love. I would rate it a 4/10. This show is upsetting to watch. The Autistic people are made fun of relentlessly.
I don't like that some of the parents are using the show as a way to pawn off their child to someone else. It is mean to insinuate that they are a burden.
The Imperfects - 2022-2022
The character with Hyperacusis (super hearing that is painful) ends up wanting to keep her "powers". This is highly improbable with real Hyperacusis.
This show is about people who suddenly become disabled by "powers". I would rate it a 6/10. This show is entertaining but unrealistic.
As someone with real Hyperacusis, I would give anything to be rid of it. It is incredibly disabling and I have to wear headphones to go outside.
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.