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The Accurate Portray Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Forest Gump

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The Accurate Portray of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Forest Gump Casey Rogers Boston University Health and Disability Across the Lifespan Professor Franco March 31st, 2023 Forest Gump, a film premiering in in 1994, follows the main character and narrator Forest throughout provocative events of the 20th century. It is apparent from the beginning of the film that Forest has a disability of some sort, but only being described as “low IQ”. While the film follows Forest’s life from childhood to middle adulthood, only his life stage of young adulthood will be examined in this paper. Forest Gump accurately portrays a young adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who is in little need of supplementary support. The characterization …show more content…

Focusing on Forest as a young adult, this period is characterized by the rapid changes that happen during an individual’s life. Young adulthood is the most common time that a person leaves the support system of their family and goes out on their own, either going to college or some other individual venture (Santrock, 2021, p.410). This is a time when the induvial can explore new things without the supervision of a guardian, whether that be for the better or worse. (Santrock, 2021, p.411). However, young adults with ASD often have difficulties and delays with young adulthood, especially the transition from adolescents to young adulthood and social participation (Volkmar and Solomon, 2023). Typically, the rates of employment and continuing onto higher education are low among young adults with ASD (Shatuk et. al, 2012). Most young adults with ASD live with their parents, and many report a lack of friends and peers, as their friends from adolescents leave to pursue employment or higher education. (Hendricks and Wehman, 2009) However, Forest seems to demonstrate the opposite of many of these trends in his young adulthood. Forest is popular with friends, attending the University of Alabama, and on the UA football team. Another characteristic of young adulthood is experimenting with sex, drugs, and alcohol, which Forest also demonstrates in his young adult period. (Santrock, 2021, p.417- 421) In general, Forest remains able to reach all of the major milestones of a young adult while navigating his

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