Oh boy, this is going to sound bad.
Rain Man is a movie that doesn’t often get mentioned, but it should because it’s relevant to what’s happening with children today. While watching it tonight, it struck how looking after an autistic person is like having a dog. Yeah, that doesn’t sound good at all, but hear me out.
I’m convinced that dogs are thinking, they just have an entirely different way of thinking. Raymond was like that in the movie. He was connecting the dots in an entirely different way.
In the movie, the big conflict was that Raymond could have a fuller life with his brother, but that would take tremendous effort and patience. The easier approach is to farm Raymond out to an institution where it was all smoothed out. Few highs or lows. Raymond wouldn’t grow because he wouldn’t be challenged.
Dogs are like that. Sparky takes up about 40% of my problem-solving ability, but I’m happy to do it because he’s super-cute and a novel experience. If I didn’t have the time or inclination, it would be easier to institute a routine that limits his options. He would still be warm and fed, but he wouldn’t be challenged. He wouldn’t exactly be unhappy because he would expect anything different.
Admittedly, everything makes me think of having a dog, and I should probably put more effort into maintaining human connections, but I don’t want to.
Early in their road trip, Charlie looks for a mental health professional in a small town. The doctor had read about autism, but had no direct experience. That is telling, and highlights issues that RFK Jr. wants to bring to national attention.
In the 1970’s, when I was in school, we only saw autistic students on after-school specials. There may have been some in the school, but they were isolated. At the time, an autistic person would be like Raymond in Rain Man.
In 1988, when Rain Man came out, about one in a thousand students were autistic. Now, it’s more like one out of thirty-six. That’s about 30 times more autism.
The definitions have certainly changed. How many autistic kids can’t hold a conversation and have to wear a football helmet to school? At some point, Asperger Syndrome meant a student who had trouble socially connecting with people. Then, that was changed to being on the autism spectrum. Now, that condition is called neuro-divergent, and everyone wants to be neuro-divergent. It’s not a specific diagnosis, and it applies to any young person who is quirky and thinks differently, which is what every young person aspires to be.
That’s part of it, but I don’t know how big of a part. It is a cultural phenomenon that young people want an identity that is anything that isn’t normal. Being medically diagnosed comes with perks and privileges that are called accommodations.
I hope RFK gets approved and digs into it. Food may be part of it, but I’m unconvinced. Just like with Raymond, it takes time and effort to develop a child who needs guidance. It’s easier to lower expectations and get whatever perks are available.
In any case, it’s a good movie. 8/10.