“Rain Man and Autistic Disorders”

The prevalence of autistic disorders has been steadily rising as the spotlight of attention focuses on them. Some reviewed data in ten countries and estimated a prevalence of 4.8 per 10,000, or about 1 in every 2,000 children suffers from autistic disorders. Other estimates suggest it may be as high as 1 in every 1,000; another estimate is that 1 in 50 children are diagnosed with ASD. The number of children with autism may now exceed the number of children with Down syndrome and children with Fragile X syndrome. Autism has moved from a low-incidence to a high-indecency condition similar to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities or emotional disturbance.
“Rain Man” shows an eye opening storyline through the acts of the main character Charlie and the relationship with his autistic older brother that depicts the definition of autism as it is in everyday regular lives. The film has them traveling across America, from one situation to another, Charlie is slow to adjust his selfish intentions to meet his brother's anxious need to maintain his routines and rituals. He discovers from his brother important things about his childhood that he has forgotten. In the process, Charlie finds himself beginning to shed the protective layers of his personality and Raymond remains the same in spite of his new experiences, apparently still enclosed in his autistic world. Like the majority of severely autistic people, Dustin Hoffman, as the character Raymond, displays many characteristics of autism dead on point. Raymond continuously showed signs the affect a child’s social development and unusual behavioral manifestations such as repetitive motor movements. He has almost never had any facial expressions, he makes no eye contact, his speech is limited mostly to single words and short phrases, he tends to respond only to short simple commands and requests, he shows extreme anxiety when unable to maintain his routines and he also has obsessive tendencies. Even though Charlie and Raymond go through some ruff moments their bond grew. Understanding eventually rose even though it came in an uncommon way. Family relevance was shown in several different ways. Overall Rain Man shows the traits, strengths and weakness of autistic disorders.