“Shine’s” depiction of David Helfgott’s passionate pursuit and achievement of success as a pianist in spite of his severe mental challenges sends an uplifting message that continues to resonate among people on the autism spectrum in today’s environment where employers are increasin…

By Nils Skudra Last year’s premiere of the first season of The Good Doctor, starring Freddie Highmore as autistic surgical resident Shaun Murphy, drew widespread acclaim among many viewers for its realistic depiction of the strengths and challenges associated with being on the autism spectrum, which…

Keep the Change makes a significant departure from traditional film portrayals of autism since it has the unique distinction of casting actors who are actually on the autism spectrum in the roles of autistic protagonists and supporting characters who are on the spectrum. By Nils Skudra I recently ha…

A look at a classic film’s depiction of autism and that developmental disability’s subsequent treatment three decades later By Nils Skudra I first watched Rain Man, a 1988 cult classic film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, when I was much younger and in the early stages of finding out more a…

By Helen Wallace-Iles When you have a child, there’s something nobody tells you: suddenly your first priority becomes another person’s needs instead of your own, and this can take a lot of getting used to. Then comes the twist: as soon as you’ve adjusted to them being totally dependent on you, you h…

Taylor Cross reviews the video game God of War (2018) There are few games released every console generation that are on the level of Santa Monica Studios’ newest game, Dad of Son, I mean, God of War (2018). If you can, you should do whatever it takes to play it. Now that I’ve heaped prai…

“Roman J. Israel, Esq.” takes a unique approach as a film about autism since its portrayal is made from the vantage point of an African-American lawyer with Asperger’s Syndrome,” Nils Skudra By Nils Skudra On a recent occasion I had the opportunity to watch the film “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” s…

Great decorating idea for nonprofits and schools who have dances and parties. By Debra Muzikar I received an email last week asking if I would like to review the AtmosFX Digital Design projector (Retail $199) for the Art of Autism. The email stated that the AtmosFX was created in 2008 by an MTV prod…

An Autistic woman reviews a movie about an Autistic woman by Helen Wallace-Iles Please Stand By is the story of one autistic woman’s journey towards independence and follows her on an adventure with the sort of highs and lows we can all relate to. Played by the brilliant Dakota Fanning, our heroine …

As 2017 comes to a close, The Art of Autism looks back at memorable events of the year. We’ve compiled some highlights of happenings in the autism community and from our year at The Art of Autism. Notable Deaths 2017 was a year that saw the passing of three lights who embodied inclusion, love,…

The Va-J-J House, a Tapestry of Life Written from the Heart of Aunt Lea Lance As a friend of The Art of Autism, Aunt Lea has shared in blogs and discussions on this forum. This time, to protect the privacy of fictionalized characters in her novel, she is using her pseudonym: Aunt Lea Lance –…

Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen the movie you may not want to read this review. By Tom Iland If you have not yet seen the Ben Affleck movie, The Accountant, I suggest you see it or research it in order to better understand the context and the lessons being conveyed in this blog. As a certif…