7 Movies About Autism
By Tiffany Joseph, Bened Life Neurodiversity and Disability Consultant
Movies are an excellent way to open up one’s mind and learn about a different group of people. Therefore, I present the following films about autism.
I chose films that represent a diverse range of people, since the typical picture of an Autistic person in the minds of many people is a white male who can speak. These movies focus instead on under-represented groups in the autism community: girls and women, Autistic people of color, and those with communication differences.
The films are diverse in other ways. Some are short, some are long. Some are fictional and some are non-fictional. They have a variety of topics: there is a Christmas film, one that deals with the death of a parent, several that talk about communication and education equity in school and beyond, and others touch on autonomy and independence as Autistic kids grow into their pre-teens and teens.
Movies are an important way to reach people outside of the community and inside alike. Whether you are Autistic yourself, or an ally, I hope you will find a few films on this list to watch and enjoy.
Films with Autistic Characters and Subjects
This Not About Me (rent on website)
This documentary is about Jordyn Zimmerman, a Nonspeaking Autistic woman, and her education journey from a kid the schools assumed couldn’t learn to now an educator with a master’s degree. Jordyn didn’t have access to communication or proper education until her late teens. This movie discusses how unfair that was to her and the millions of people of all ages around the world who are also being gatekept from accessing communication or proper education.
Jordyn's Rocky Journey (YouTube)
In this documentary, we are taken on Jordyn Pallett’s journey to get his hard-to-control Autistic body to obey him enough so that he can successfully complete his rock climbing goals. We see Jordyn challenge his body with support from his instructors, parents, and his letterboard for communication. At the end, we get a message from Jordyn’s dad about low expectations and what that looks like when a Nonspeaking Autistic person gets access to a form of reliable communication.
Our Christmas Journey (Amazon Prime)
This movie is a fictional story about a family helmed by a single mom. How does a parent let go of their child when they are coming of age, especially when that child has a disability? What if the parent’s second nature is to do everything for their kid? This film explores the relationship of an Autistic young man and his mother’s fear of letting her son experience more independence.
Wretches and Jabberers (rent on Vimeo)
Larry Bissonnette and Terry Thresher star in this documentary about two older Nonspeaking Autistic men who didn’t get access to communication until they were in middle age. We follow them as they embark on a trip across the world to meet other Nonspeaking Autistic people who also didn’t get access to communication as young children. We see their struggles and joys of being Nonspeaking and finally having access to social lives and autonomy. During a social conversation between Nonspeakers, we learn that speaking people are called Jabberers and the Nonspeakers call themselves Wretches, which is where the name of the film came from.
IN A BEAT is a short movie about an Autistic boy and his single mother. The mom is a dancer who is very adept at compassionately helping her young son deal with his uncontrollable meltdowns. Throughout the film, the mother gets a huge opportunity to audition for a life-changing dance position, but she has no one to watch her Autistic son. He eventually convinces his mom that he can be by himself during the audition. When she finally agrees to take the chance, an unforeseen event causes him to have to face his meltdown alone for the first time.
Deej is a documentary about DJ Savarese, a Nonspeaking Autistic man, and his journey from high school through his first year of college. We are taken through the challenges that come with his disability in a campus situation, whether getting through a typical public high school or college. Things like living alone on campus or going to class with a communication device are obviously challenging. However, DJ also has to navigate society’s view of Nonspeaking and Autistic people while proving he not only has the right to be with his non-disabled peers but that he can excel at the same time.
The Reason I Jump has the same title as the book written by Japanese Nonspeaking Autistic author Naoki Higashida. The filmmaker travels the world meeting other Nonspeaking Autistic people using Higashida’s words as reference to the experiences the audience sees. We see long-life Nonspeaking friends, Emma and Ben. We hear their pain of being denied a proper education and communication until they were almost adults. Amongst the cast are kids and adults who have or are currently facing the same systemic denial of education and communication, which are both considered human rights.
Bonus suggestion
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
While not solely about autism, this is a must-see documentary for anyone who is Disabled, works with Disabled people, knows Disabled people, or will become Disabled one day. That means this is a must-watch film for EVERYONE!
The documentary starts at Camp Jened, where the audience is taught that REAL inclusion is possible for all people with disabilities. Then we see those same disabled campers change the world for people with disabilities. Because of the activism and communication skills they learned as youth at the camp, they were instrumental in helping to lead the California 504 sit-in in 1977. The sit-in became the catalyst for many protected legal rights and disability laws around the United States and the world in general.
About the author:
Tiffany "TJ" Joseph is an Autistic adult working in accessible education with teen and young adult Autistic nonspeakers. She herself is Hard of Hearing and utilizes many ways to communicate including ASL, mouth words, and high-tech AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). Their passion in the disability space is communication and education rights for people of all disabilities. Find TJ on social media at Nigh Functioning Autism.
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