List of films about autism

For a list of films with real characters on the autism spectrum, see Autism spectrum disorders in the media § Non-fiction. For a list of films with fictional characters on the autism spectrum, see List of autistic fictional characters § Film.

This is a list of autism-related films:

## Fiction

[edit]

* A Boy Called Po[1]
* A Brilliant Young Mind (aka "X+Y")[2]
* A Mile in His Shoes[3]
* Adam[4]
* After Thomas[5]
* Ataru: The First Love & the Last Kill [ja][6]
* Beautiful Pain[7]
* Ben X[8]
* Bless the Child[9]
* Cries from the Heart[10]
* David's Mother[11]
* Dear John[12]
* Fly Away[13]
* Haridas[14]
* Jack of the Red Hearts[13]
* Jane Wants a Boyfriend[15]
* Loop[16]
* Love Child[17]
* Malcolm[citation needed]
* Marathon[18]
* Mary and Max[19]
* Mercury Rising[20]
* Miracle Run[21]
* Molly[22]
* Mozart and the Whale[23]
* Music[24]
* My Name Is Khan[25]
* Ocean Heaven[26]
* One More Chance[27]
* Please Stand By[28]
* Rain Man[29]
* Season of Miracles[30]
* Silent Fall[31]
* Snow Cake[32]
* Somersault[19]
* Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love[33]
* Split[34]
* Superbror [da][35]
* Temple Grandin[36]
* The Accountant[37]
* The Accountant 2[38]
* The Black Balloon[19]
* The Boy Who Could Fly[39]
* The Fanatic[40][better source needed]
* The Predator[41]
* The Sense of Wonder[42]
* The Story of Luke[43]
* The Specials[44]
* Under the Piano[45]
* White Frog[46]

## Non-fiction

[edit]

* Autism Every Day[47]
* Autism in Love[48]
* Autism Is a World[49]
* Autism: The Musical[50]
* Children From The Distant Planet [zh][51]
* Children of the Stars[52]
* Citizen Autistic[53]
* Dad's in Heaven with Nixon[54]
* Deej[55]
* How to Dance in Ohio[56]
* Life, Animated[57]
* Normal People Scare Me[58] and Normal People Scare Me Too[59]
* Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back[60]
* Refrigerator Mothers[61]
* The Horse Boy[62]
* The Reason I Jump[63]
* Too Sane for This World[64]
* Vaxxed[65]
* Wretches & Jabberers[66]
* In A Different Key[67]

## References

[edit]

* Murray, Stuart (2007). "13. Hollywood and the Fascination of Autism (pp. 244ff.)". In Osteen, Mark (ed.). Autism and Representation. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-93508-8.
* Conna, Rory; Bhugra, Dinesh (2012). "The portrayal of autism in Hollywood films". International Journal of Culture and Mental Health. 5 (1): 54–62\. doi:10.1080/17542863.2011.553369. S2CID 145798934.
* Campbell Brown, William John Robert; Fleming, David H.; Eastwood, Steven (23 March 2013). "Film-Philosophy Conference 2013: Beyond Film. Cinema and/as Autism". Film Philosophy. Retrieved 2 July 2013.

1. ^ Michael Pellegrini (2017-09-13). Features ‘A Boy Called Po,’ Making His Own Sci-Fi and Out Cursing ‘South Park,’ Andrew Bowen Enlightens in Our Exclusive Interview. onFiction. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved on July 26, 2023.
2. ^ Felperin, Leslie (2015-03-12). "Autism in film: X+Y is audacious – but is it clichéd or the real deal?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
3. ^ Alice Jester (22 September 2011). "Meet Luke Schroder: Lead Acting Debut in A Mile in His Shoes". The Morton Report. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
4. ^ "Director Max Mayer On 'Adam' And Asperger's". NPR. 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
5. ^ Grant, Frances (2008-05-25). "TV review: After Thomas". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
6. ^ 福田麗 (2013-06-04). "松雪泰子、初の義足&車椅子！『劇場版 ATARU』で中居と9年ぶり共演" (in Japanese). シネマトゥデイ. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
7. ^ Ruben V. Nepales (2016-12-11). "Beautiful Pain (Malaysia)". Golden Globes. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
8. ^ Chainsaw, Billy (2012-05-12). "Ben X Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
9. ^ Koehler, Robert (2000-08-10). "Bless the Child". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
10. ^ "DOWNBEAT, FACT-BASED TALES". The Washington Post. 1994-10-16. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
11. ^ Mangan, Jennifer (1994-04-05). "MOVIE LOOKS AT THE COST OF A MOTHER'S PROTECTIVE LOVE". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
12. ^ Roberts, Sheila (2010-02-01). "Nicholas Sparks Interview DEAR JOHN". Collider. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
13. ^ a b Doty, Shannon (2016-02-16). "Inside Autism: A Conversation with "Jack of the Red Hearts" Filmmakers Janet Grillo and Jennifer Deaton". Madison House Autism Foundation. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
14. ^ Shoma A. Chatterji (2014-05-09). "Prosenjit, Arpita Forced to come together". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
15. ^ Van Cott, Kaeli (2015-06-11). "Watch: Eliza Dushku Redefines Sisterhood in Exclusive 'Jane Wants a Boyfriend' Trailer". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
16. ^ "Pixar SparkShort "Loop" Promotes Autism Acceptance, Celebrates Difference and Helps Inspire Change". The Walt Disney Company. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
17. ^ Pagulong, Charmie Joy (3 August 2024). "Cinemalaya 2024 director dedicates 'Love Child' to son on autism spectrum". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
18. ^ "Cho Seung-woo shines in `Running Boy`". Korea Herald. 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
19. ^ a b c Ellis, Katie (2010). "Autism & Aspergers in Popular Australian Cinema Post 2000". Disability Studies Quarterly. 30 (1): 33. doi:10.18061/dsq.v30i1.1076.
20. ^ Gallagher, Brian (2010-06-09). "Unleashed and Mercury Rising Debut on Blu-ray on September 14th". Movieweb. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
21. ^ Hedgpeth, Steve (2004-08-09). "From 'Angels' to a 'Miracle' for Mary-Louise Parker". The Spokesman Review. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
22. ^ Tucker, Ken (1999-10-29). "Molly". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
23. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (August 2004). "Wicker Park: An Interview with Josh Hartnett". BlackFilm. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
24. ^ Zoe Christen Jones (2020-11-20). "Sia defends portrayal of autistic character in new film". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
25. ^ Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (2010-01-12). "Just A Minute With: Karan Johar on 'My Name is Khan'". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
26. ^ "Jet Li plays with heart in "Ocean Heaven"". Xinhuanet. 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
27. ^ "Filmart: Chow Yun-fat to Star in Family Drama 'Be Water, My Friend' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 March 2019.
28. ^ Jusino, Teresa (2018-04-17). "Interview: Please Stand By Director Ben Lewin Boldly Depicts Communities He's Never Depicted Before". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
29. ^ Rensin, David (1989-01-12). "Barry Levinson on the Making of 'Rain Man'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
30. ^ "Story | Season of Miracles". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
31. ^ Howard Henry Chen (1994-10-26). "Little Towson actor bears witness to the whims of fate". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
32. ^ Ellen, Barbara (2006-08-20). "A woman of substance". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
33. ^ O'Connor, John J. (1979-05-14). "TV: 'son‐Rise,' About Autistic Child". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
34. ^ Jin, Min-ji (2016-11-06). "'Split' bowls its way into hearts: The heartwarming drama tells refreshing tale of love for a sport". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
35. ^ "Superbror". Det Danske Filminstitut (in Danish). Retrieved 2023-11-11.
36. ^ Lyman, Rick (2010-01-29). "No More Crushes; This Is Serious". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
37. ^ Slane, Kevin (2016-10-14). "Why Ben Affleck's new movie is three genres in one, according to its director". Boston.com. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
38. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (2025-04-15). "The Accountant 2 review: Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal cook the books for a surprisingly fun adventure". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
39. ^ Ebert, Roger (1986-09-26). "The Boy Who Could Fly". Retrieved 2023-11-11.
40. ^ McLachlan, Megan (2020-01-02). "John Travolta Doesn't Care What Critics Think of 'The Fanatic'". Awardsdaily. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
41. ^ Paul, Zachary (2018-05-11). "[Interview] A Day with the Prey – 'The Predator' Stars Detail Their Characters". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
42. ^ ""Le Grand Jeu", "Le Goût des merveilles", "l'Attente"... Les films à voir (ou pas) cette semaine". L'Obs (in French). 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
43. ^ Gallagher, Brian (2013-04-05). "EXCLUSIVE: Seth Green and Lou Taylor Pucci Talk The Story of Luke". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
44. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (2019-06-22). "Film Review: 'The Specials'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
45. ^ Sullivan Entertainment (2023-04-25). "Under The Piano- Official Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 2023-11-11. "an autistic savant whose talent defies understanding"
46. ^ "About the film". White Frog. Archived from the original on 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
47. ^ Abigail Sullivan Moore (2007-01-27). "Hard-Hitting Look at Autism Is Being Shown at Sundance". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
48. ^ Bonos, Lisa (2016-01-08). "Love on the spectrum: How autism brought one couple together". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
49. ^ Lisa Barrett Mann (2005-02-22). "Oscar Nominee: Documentary or Fiction?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
50. ^ Holden, Stephen (2007-04-20). "Feast of Serious Cinema; Partygoers Welcome". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
51. ^ 《遥远星球的孩子》周迅陈坤温暖讲述催人泪下 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
52. ^ "Children of the Stars". Retrieved 2023-11-11.
53. ^ Healy, Amber (2023-10-30). "Hollywood comes to Alexandria". The Connection. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
54. ^ Marcia G. Yerman (2010-06-23). ""Dad's in Heaven with Nixon" - a Documentary About Autism and Bipolar Disease". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
55. ^ Foster, Craig A. (2019-08-09). "Deej-a Vu: Documentary revisits facilitated communication pseudoscience". Behavioral Interventions. 34 (4): 577–586\. doi:10.1002/bin.1687.
56. ^ Lang, Brent (2015-01-14). "Sundance: HBO Nabs 'How to Dance in Ohio'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
57. ^ Sarto, Dan (2016-07-01). "Roger Ross Williams On a Life Uniquely Animated". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
58. ^ Scanlan, Dan. "Travolta brother, friends bring Tinseltown to UNF for children with autism". Retrieved 2023-11-11.
59. ^ "Normal People Scare Me Too, a Film About Autism Gets Rave Reviews". ReleaseWire. 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
60. ^ "CARD® Founder". Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
61. ^ Soraya, Lynne (2010-01-11). "Bias, Bettelheim and Autism: Is History Repeating Itself?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
62. ^ Armstrong, Eric M. (2010-03-09). "Tallgrass Third Thursdays: 'The Horse Boy'". The Moving Arts Film Journal. Archived from the original on 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
63. ^ Felperin, Leslie (2020-01-28). "'The Reason I Jump': Film Review | Sundance 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
64. ^ Johnson, Virginia (2014-06-15). "Too Sane for This World: A Film About Adult Autism". Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
65. ^ Gorski, David (2016-07-11). "Reviewing Andrew Wakefield's VAXXED: Antivaccine propaganda at its most pernicious". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
66. ^ Wurzburg, Gerardine (2011-03-31). "Traveling With Autism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
67. ^ Bobby Pepper (2021-04-25). "'In A Different Key': Film about autism wins best documentary prize at Oxford festival". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved 2024-02-14.

* v
* t
* e

Autism resources

* Autism
* outline
* history

Awareness|

* Autism-friendly
* Autism Sunday
* Communication Shutdown
* World Autism Awareness Day

Culture|

* Autistic art
* Autism in popular culture
* Fictional characters
* Films about autism
* Circle of Friends
* Neurodiversity

Accommodations|

* Sensory friendly
* KultureCity

Therapies

| Psychotropic medication (antipsychotics)|

* Aripiprazole
* Risperidone

|

Behavioral|

*     * Discrete trial training (Lovaas)
* Picture exchange communication system (PECS)
* Pivotal response treatment
* Positive behavior support
* Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)
* Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
* Social skills training

Developmental|

* Floortime (PLAY Project)

Controversial|

* Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
* Auditory integration training
* Aversion therapy (Judge Rotenberg Center)
* Chelation of mercury
* Facilitated communication
* Gluten-free, casein-free diet
* Hug machine
* Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
* Holding therapy
* Relationship development intervention
* Secretin
* Sensory integration therapy
* Son-Rise
* Vitamin B12

Related|

* ADHD medication
* Melatonin
* Occupational therapy
* Social Stories
* Speech therapy
* Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
* Structured teaching (TEACCH)

Centers

| Research|

| United States|

* Association for Science in Autism Treatment
* Autism Research Institute
* Autism Science Foundation
* Kennedy Krieger Institute
* National Alliance for Autism Research
* Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
* Yale Child Study Center

|

United Kingdom|

* Autism Research Centre (UK)

* Conditions and research areas
* Researchers

Therapy|

| United States|

* Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
* MIND Institute

|

Schools|

* Alpine Learning Group
* Eden II School for Autistic Children
* ESPA College (UK)
* Exceptional Minds (USA)
* New England Center for Children
* Pathlight School (Singapore)
* Rebecca School
* Sunfield Children's Home (UK)
* TreeHouse School (UK)
* Western Autistic School (Australia)

Organizations

| International|

* Autism rights movement
* Wrong Planet

|

Americas|

| United States|

* Autism Network International
* Autism Science Foundation
* Autistic Self Advocacy Network
* Autism Society of America
* Autism Speaks
* Centro Ponceño de Autismo
* Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation
* Generation Rescue
* Interactive Autism Network
* Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
* LENA Foundation
* National Alliance for Autism Research
* National Council on Severe Autism
* National Database for Autism Research
* The Autism Community in Action

|

* Centro Ann Sullivan (Peru)
* Domus Instituto de Autismo (Mexico)

Asia|

* Action for Autism (India)
* Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)

Caribbean|

* Autistic Society of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (Jamaica)

Europe|

| UK|

* Autism Anglia
* The Autism Directory
* Autism Awareness Campaign UK
* Autism Cymru
* Autism Plus
* Autistica
* National Autistic Society
* Sacar

|

* Specialisterne (Denmark)
* Aspies For Freedom

Oceania|

* Luke Priddis Foundation (Australia)

Literature

| Non-fiction|

* The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son
* Animals in Translation
* Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger's Syndrome
* Autism's False Prophets
* Extreme Love: Autism
* Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence
* In a Different Key
* Life, Animated
* Like Colour to the Blind
* Look Me in the Eye
* Mother Warriors
* My Autobiography
* NeuroTribes
* Nobody Nowhere
* The Reason I Jump
* Somebody Somewhere
* Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues
* Strange Son
* Switched On
* Unstrange Minds

|

Fiction|

* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
* Dear John
* House Rules
* Mockingbird
* Saving Max
* Speed of Dark
* The Winter Journey
* With the Light

For younger people|

* Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism
* Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism
* Marcelo in the Real World
* Rage: A Love Story
* Rules

Journals|

* Autism
* Autism in Adulthood
* Autism Research
* Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
* Molecular Autism
* Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template