Tag Archives: autism

Surprising Biological Markers of Autism

biological markers of autism

Autism is a disorder which impacts greatly upon a baby’s ability to mature and acquire normal social skills; the condition causes children to communicate in odd speech patterns such as speaking repetitively or echoing the speech of others. For some time scientists believed that autism could only be detected when a child had grown old enough to be able to speak with others. However recent studies conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas have suggested that autism may soon be detectable even before a child learns the alphabet. Continue reading

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Autism in Mainstream Movies: Top 4 Performances

The portrayal of individuals with autism in movies has come a long way in recent years.  From the savant character of Rain Man to the multi-dimensional heroes of Salander and Khan, are we finally seeing the mainstream media develop a better understanding of persons on the autistic spectrum?

Dustin Hoffman Tom Cruise Rain Man1. Rain Man

This film provided an entire generation with their first introduction to the subject of autism and is still highly regarded today, more than 20 years after its release. Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), the autistic character in Rain Man, is a savant.  He has an incredible memory but he does not necessarily understand the things that he is able to recall.  For example, he is able to remember numbers and help with card counting, even though he does not have a strong background in mathematics. At the outset, Raymond’s brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) mistakenly believes that Raymond’s autism can be cured and this is the source of much friction throughout the movie. Continue reading

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