Life, Animated - A Reflection
It is vital to understand neurodiversity and its impact on individuals. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting social behavior and communication. Many misconceptions exist about people with ASD. This text reflects on the film Life, Animated and delves into the broader societal implications of supporting those with ASD.
Diagnostic Criteria
In the film Life, Animated, Owen exhibited a few characteristics that indicate a likely diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. As a child, Owen's speech would be described as "gibberish" by his parents. Owen had major struggles understanding what other people were saying. This meets ASD criteria A.1, "having abnormal social approach and failure of back-and-forth conversations" (CDC, 2022, p. 1). Owen also struggled with developing and maintaining relationships which led to him being viciously bullied by his peers. His trouble with relationships meets criteria A.3 from the DSM-5-TR. Alongside these symptoms, Owen displayed "highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus" (CDC, 2022, p. 1). This presents his interest in Disney characters and movies (26:35). From a young age, Owen's interest in Disney was very fixated and stringent.
Therapeutic Interventions
One therapeutic intervention that would work best with people diagnosed with ASD is speech and language therapy and interventions that would provide. The DSM criteria for ASD indicate that language and communication are significant barriers to ASD. This implies that working on these skills would have the most effective outcomes for people with ASD. Owen has a provider who works with him on his communications. In that segment, Michelle Garcia Winner, Owen's social thinking evaluator, focused on statements that can be on the topic and conversational (30:50). Some intervention I would recommend for ASD is play-therapy, specifically for children with ASD. I would use this as an intervention because it benefits children by exploring their abilities or interests. Play therapy for those with ASD "is a wonderful tool for helping children (and sometimes even adults) to move beyond autism's self-absorption into real, shared interaction" (Rudy, 2006). This intervention would be extraordinary for those with ASD as it helps them with relationships, exploring their emotions, and maintaining overstimulation.
Owen’s Prognosis
Owen had a lot of support and guidance throughout his childhood, as he had a loving family who was highly involved in his treatment. His parents were incredibly supportive; they provided comfort and a safe environment instead of judging him. Even Owen's brother was supportive from a young age despite just being a child himself at the time. Most of all, though, Owen's family had the means to support his treatment from a very young. Unfortunately, for many children with a disability, there is a lack of resources and supports available. Some children may be living in situations opposite to Owen in which they suffer physical and emotional abuse. This can cause these individuals to develop other disorders on top of ASD as they grow older. In addition, many children grow up in low socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite having loving and supportive parents, there are often insufficient financial resources to seek help or even be diagnosed with ASD. These scenarios can cause one individual to have a dual diagnosis as they grow older or severely suffer socially due to never having intervention.
Impact on the Family System
A child diagnosed with ASD or an intellectual disability can impact the family system in many ways. One of these ways I
s in the family's priorities. Sometimes families that have a member with a disability must adjust their priorities to be centered around the child with the disability. This can cause a feeling of neglect in the other children and cause an astronomical amount of stress for the parents. The family members can feel isolated and experience compassion fatigue. They may even start neglecting their health due to the attention they provide to the child with ASD or an intellectual disability. To help support these families as a therapist, it would be helpful first to recommend self-care for each family member. I would have a family session where the family can empathize with each other and understand they are valid in her experiences. I would then have each develop a self-care plan that benefits them. This would be anything from spending a day having a movie night alone, if possible, or reading a book they enjoy for the first time in a while. Although it may be hard to find the time to do these things, it would be a good start. The next thing I would recommend is support groups for the family members. Support groups are beneficial in feeling validated in your experiences because "the simple act of speaking with someone who understands what you are going through as a caregiver can be enough to get by" (Sullivan, 2022).