Autism Spectrum Disorders In Rain Man

One of the first movies that brought awareness to autism spectrum disorder, was the 1988 film Rain Man. Portrayed by Tom Cruise, Charlie Babbitt is an arrogant and selfish Los Angeles car dealer who struggles with financial insecurities after struggling to import foreign cars for his clients. After his father’s death, the will leaves Charlie with an old car and a few rose bushes, while the rest of the 3 million dollar estate is given to an unknown trustee. After careful investigation, Charlie discovers that he has a brother, whom will inherit the rest of the estates fortune. This brother, Raymond Babbitt as portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and is an autistic savant. Charlie, in an attempt to fork over

Among these, one of his most recognizable symptoms are his repetitive movements. Most likely these movements have been present since a young age and are done to regulate Raymond’s emotional state. They are not severe, however when feeling distressed, Raymond tends to rock back and forth more intensely, or fidget his hands more often to calm himself. Another symptom shown by Raymond is his trouble with social interaction. Has trouble answering abstract questions, or anything that is not explained by his routine. For example, when asked if he wants to stay with Charlie or return to the mental institution, he says yes to both questions. This has also most likely been a symptom since a young age, and becomes even more severe in distress, where he almost seems to shut down completely. Furthermore, Raymond also has many ritualized patterns that he takes part in, his most comical being his constant repetition of the famous “Who’s on First?” sketch by Abbott and Costello. He also commits to being in bed by 11:00PM, and any deviation of this puts him in major distress. Although it is not implicitly stated, I would imagine that these ritualistic patterns have emerged since a young age, and with development they are changing over time. Raymond also has an affinity for certain objects, such as his knapsack and the radio that Charlie gives him. Charlie uses this to persuade Raymond into following him, as he grabs the knapsack and walks with it. This can be severe, especially if Raymond is not near his knapsack, as it must always be by his side, or else there is considerable distress. While the items might have changed over time, this symptom can be assumed to have stayed with Raymond since his childhood. Finally, Raymond also engages in repetitive speech patterns and phrases. These are most likely used to