My Autism Insights

Interesting question.  So we finally made it to the movies this afternoon to see Wall-E in the second-run theater.   What can I say about Wall-E?

I can say that the short, Presto, at the beginning of the movie was very cute and engaged Gus completely.

I can say that the first fifteen minutes of the movie were very entertaining to DH (dear husband) and me, but MM was a little disturbed and Gus was very interested in the pattern on the wall next to us.

I can say that the popcorn was really overpriced and not worth it - stale.

I can say there’s a good reason we went to see it for $2 instead of $7 or $9.

I can say we probably should have gone to see High School Musical 3 and we may have gotten 45 minutes out of our tickets instead of 15.

I can say I’m glad I waited to buy the DVD because the kids both found the beginning of the movie “sad” (Gus) and “scary” (MM).  They have no desire to watch further.

Is this a negative review of the movie?  Not at all, but I think we’ll be renting from Netflix if we ever want to find out what Eva was looking for.

  Tomorrow begins the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  While I love having my kids home, there is always the problem of how to entertain them all by my lonesome.  That challenge is compacted right now because I’m working at home so there are deadlines, and more deadlines, and oh yeah look another deadline.  I’ve got editing to do by Friday; 4000 words to write by Monday; and a novel to finish before Sunday.  Then there’s that pesky holiday to get ready for on Thursday.  How do I accomplish all that and still keep two kids busy?  Clearly, I can’t, right?  Or can I?

I have this crazy idea that I can still make a Herculean push these last 5 days and get everything done.   I think I may have to give up a few extra hours of sleep this week, perhaps just not sleep the rest of the week.  I plan to bribe the children with a movie if they give me a few hours to work tomorrow - High School Musical 3.  Or maybe we’ll check out Wall-E at the second-run theater.  And while I am fully aware that attempting to take the both of them to a movie on my own is probably a good indicator the beginnings of a nervous breakdown, I’m going to try it anyway.

Could it be that I’m sounding like the breakdown’s already begun? Not quite - close, but not quite.  Just having a strange combination of manic energy and not wanting to do anything but listen to Twilight on audio - otherwise known as procrastination.  See, so why should my kids be cooped up because I’m a chronic procrastinator?

I’m not sure how the loudness will sit with Gus, and MM may get bored halfway through.  I fully expect that one will end up wanting to leave and the other will want to stay…or one will want to roam and the other will want to sit.  It will likely be a disaster.  But what’s one more disaster to the big dope who managed to get so overloaded with stuff to do?  We’ll just call it an adventure and move on.

Plus, it will give me something to blog about tomorrow, providing we’re all still in one piece.  My posting may be sparse for the next few days.  There’s only so many words my brain can process in a day.

So, if I don’t post tomorrow or the day after, wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and wish me luck that my brain survives the next few days!

I’ve recently come across a book and a movie that I think are worth checking out if you have some time over the weekend.

  First a movie: Snowcake.  I reacently learned about this movie in which Sigourney Weaver magnificently plays an autistic adult who has just lost her daughter.  Aside from being a very moving film about redemption (not hers), the performance gives a fascinating perspective on the world of a person with autism and also the way neurotypical people interact with them.  One scene in particular got me a bit riled.  After the wake for her daughter, she starts to behave in a way that might be considered by some to be inappropriate to the situation, but she was in her own home.  A neighbor tries to stop her.  This annoyed me - I hate to see someone go into another’s home and then control what goes on there.  If you don’t like it, go the hell back to your own house!  Anyway, it’s an excellent film.

Kid, Parents, and Power Strugglesby Mary Sheedy Kurcinka - I read this about 2 months ago and I think I will flip through it again.  Some very concrete strategies for interacting with children sans power struggles.  What I found most compelling was that Kurcinka spends a lot of time looking at how a parent’s issues will influence their interaction with their child.  Although this book does not directly deal with parenting a child with autism, she does address how special needs change the playing field, unlike some other parenting books I’ve read.

If you’ve got any other recommendations, please feel free to share a comment!  Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

The Hollywood Reporter told that Clare Danes will star in the HBO special, set to start filming around October, about the life of Temple Grandin, one of the country’s leading speakers about autism. The film, which has taken close to a decade to get the green-light, will be directed by Mick Jackson.

Temple Grandin is autistic and also a top scientist in the field of handling livestock humanely. She’s the author of several books to educate on the topic of autism including Thinking in Pictures, Emergence: Labeled Autistic, and most recently Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships co-authored with Sean Barron.

Danes will portray the young Dr. Grandin up through her graduate studies.

The Autism Self Advocacy Network has created a public service video in response to the very offensive language used in Ben Stiller’s newest creation, Tropic Thunder. 

I’m surprised that Stiller, who I’ve typically liked as an actor and comedian, would be so blatantly offensive. 

A coalition of disability advocacy organizations are calling for a nationwide boycott of the film, which uses the word “retard” repeatedly in relation to Ben Stiller’s character: an actor who plays a character, Simple Jack (the name itself is pretty self explanatory and insulting), in an attempt to win an Oscar.  Satire is one thing; blatant disrespect and abuse is something entirely different.  And they probably didn’t even intend to be offensive; they probably never even gave the word a second thought, which speaks volumes about how the disabled are disregarded in this country.

Shame on Ben.  I won’t even be watching this one on DVD.

Edit:  Support the boycott

   Warner Bros.

My husband and I went to see The Dark Knight in IMAX this morning (absolutely LOVED it, by the way).  For two and a half hours, this is what I experienced:

Noises and explosions so loud I had to keep my ears covered for long periods of time.  Some of the sounds were so intense (any time a car was onscreen) that I could literally feel the vibrations through my body, and it became hard to breathe.

Stunning visuals so large and close that I couldn’t take them all in, let alone process them.  And any time Batman jumped from a building, I had to close my eyes because the sensation made me dizzy and a little ill.

I spent at least half the movie needing to go to the bathroom, which means I spent half the movie splitting my attention between the film and the internal dialog I was having with my bladder trying to get it to, “shut up so I can watch the movie!”

Hurting ears, visual overstimulation, internal distraction making it hard to focus.  It occurred to me that living with autism might be a little like being trapped inside an IMAX movie.  I always had the option to get up and leave, but an autistic person can’t just walk away from the sensory overload.  I wonder if more people saw it like that if they’d be a little more patient, understanding and empathetic.