Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...?? Asperger's: they got it wrong

[Disney1fan2002]

First of all, let me say I loved, loved, loved this movie. Where they found this kid, I don't know, but he was amazing!!!

Now, if you have not seen this movie yet, please back out of this thread now, because the movie will be discussed here, and spoilers will happen. You have been warned.....

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My oldest son has Asperger's and I saw him in this kid throughout the entire movie. Even the picking of the skin. You should see my kid's arms in the summer time(short sleeves)...he has open sores all over because he picks, picks, picks. His attention to every minute detail...his need to mention every single event that happens in a story....all him

What was NOT him, and what many will agree on, is how Oscar interacted with the doorman. What was up with his potty mouth? That was so out of character, not only for Oscar himself, in the movie, but for any Asperger's kid. My son does not speak slang...and obsceneties are wrong, and since it is wrong, he won't say them. He may say hell or damn, but in his mind they are not swears...the big ones? The F word...will never cross his lips...and he would never, ever insult another person. It's just not in him. He is very literal. If you have bad breath, he will tell you in these words "your breath stinks."

If you have seen the movie and know a child on the spectrum, what were your thoughts on Oscar's potty mouth? I think it took a little away from the movie. A friend said they threw it in for effect....but it doesn't fit. IMO

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Have you read the book? Was the child the same way in the book? If so, that's the author's fault.

 

[Wall-E1]

First of all, let me say I loved, loved, loved this movie. Where they found this kid, I don't know, but he was amazing!!!

Now, if you have not seen this movie yet, please back out of this thread now, because the movie will be discussed here, and spoilers will happen. You have been warned.....

3

2

1.......


My oldest son has Asperger's and I saw him in this kid throughout the entire movie. Even the picking of the skin. You should see my kid's arms in the summer time(short sleeves)...he has open sores all over because he picks, picks, picks. His attention to every minute detail...his need to mention every single event that happens in a story....all him

What was NOT him, and what many will agree on, is how Oscar interacted with the doorman. What was up with his potty mouth? That was so out of character, not only for Oscar himself, in the movie, but for any Asperger's kid. My son does not speak slang...and obsceneties are wrong, and since it is wrong, he won't say them. He may say hell or damn, but in his mind they are not swears...the big ones? The F word...will never cross his lips...and he would never, ever insult another person. It's just not in him. He is very literal. If you have bad breath, he will tell you in these words "your breath stinks."

If you have seen the movie and know a child on the spectrum, what were your thoughts on Oscar's potty mouth? I think it took a little away from the movie. A friend said they threw it in for effect....but it doesn't fit. IMO

I saw the movie over the weekend. It was an incredible movie and I think I was crying through the entire final 1/3 of it. My shirt was wet from wiping my eyes by the end. The whole "sixth answering machine message" scene really hit hard, followed by Oskar and his mother talking about what they missed about the father.

I thought the doorman/Oskar interaction felt a little out of place, Aspergers or not. I haven't read the book, so I don't know if there was more to their interactions that was left out of the movie.

 

[bookgirl]

Former Special Education Teacher


A kid on the specturm can be anywhere on the spectrum. I have not seen the movie yet but have worked with people who do interact, who do or at least attempt to have a social interaction including using humor. If your interaction with someone is 'funny' uses language or an ongoing thread of discussion an asperger kid will continue the theme every single time he interacts with that person.

In his mind this is how he is supposed to talk with that particular person.

Some people have more of the OCD tendencies than the conversational anomalies, are not so literal minded but still may have trouble sorting out new phrases, they may even have a sense of humor but have trouble figuring out when to use it or when they need to cut it out, all not classical Autism problems, but they still are classified Aspergers. I've even had kids who are perfectly normal in conversation with others, until you touch them then suddenly they have a classic reaction.

So I doubt they got it 'wrong' so much as they used a common term with uncommon charecteristics and that might be confusing.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

My next door neighbor's son has an Asperger's diagnosis and he has a huge potty mouth.

I wasn't aware kids on the spectrum had to act exactly the same

 

[Minnesota!]

Have not seen the movie (want to...gotta find the time!) but I have to say...my niece has Asperger's and she has a mouth on her! She is one who doesn't like to "bend the rules" but apparently that doesn't apply to her language. She has to be reminded a lot about what is/isn't appropriate to say....

 

[msjprincess]

No kids with Asperger's ever use slang or swear words?

according to this website it seems to be quite common

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2011/01/aspergers-children-and-bad-language.html

Bad language (i.e., cursing, name-calling, rude statements like “I hate you,” etc.) and the Aspergers condition often go hand in hand.

 

[SaraJayne]

I have not seen the movie or read the book, nor do I have a child with Asperger's.

However, you surely realize not every child with Asperger's acts exactly the same.

 

[Magic Mom]

Are all kids with Aspergers exactly alike in every way?

 

[violetrose]

I thought the kid was the only really great thing about the movie. The rest I thought was drivel. Pure crap. Even Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, who I usually like, seemed miscast. The whole story of the boy and his magical tamborine did not resonate with me, I wonder how people who survived the Twin Towers felt about it? I just think there are so many stories to tell from 9/11, why they chose that almost whimsical fairy tale is beyond me.

 

[NotUrsula]

Mine is 14, and the only sure thing is this: If you know one Asperger's kid, you know ... one Asperger's kid. There are as many variations as there are blades of grass in a pasture.

 

[zuzupetals]

My son has Asperger's. He has a lot of friends who do too. What I've learned is that all kids have different Asperger's quirks. My son doesn't use slang but he will try and use bad words. He tells me all the time when one of his friends uses bad language. It's a spectrum so every one is a little bit different.

 

[Pembo]

Mine is 14, and the only sure thing is this: If you know one Asperger's kid, you know ... one Asperger's kid. There are as many variations as there are blades of grass in a pasture.

If you've met one person with Asperger's, you've met one person with Asperger's.

My son has Asperger's Syndrome and swears with the best of them. I could totally see him having those kind of exchanges with the doorman when he was younger.

 

[LaurenT]

My daughter has Aspergers. She's only 8 and hasn't come out with the f bomb yet, but I have no doubt she will.
I had to explain that the middle finger was a bad thing after she gave it to another kid in gym.
She will readily threaten to pee on your head and then giggle about it....
Pretty sure she'll try on a few curse words and see what happens once she hears it on the bus....

 

[Feralpeg]

First of all, let me say I loved, loved, loved this movie. Where they found this kid, I don't know, but he was amazing!!!

I haven't seen the movie, but I do know where they found the kid. He was a contestant on Jeopardy when he was seen by someone in charge of the movie. Right place. Right time.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My 16 year old son has Asperger's. He has no qualms about using swear words. I wish he did, but he doesn't!!

 

[Kimberle]

I saw the movie. I though it was wonderful. I live so close to the towers I smelled them burn. I know lots of people directly affected that day. I did not find the movie "trivalized" the day.

 

[Poohforyou]

I didn't realize every child with aspergers behaved/reacted the same way.

 

[Coconut36]

I haven't seen the movie but I am shocked someone so familiar with Aspergers would make a comment like "they got it wrong" and act like because this kid behaved a certain way it wasn't "right" because their kid didn't do that. Now I can see commenting if it deviates from the book it was based on and meaning that is what is wrong (as in the interaction didn't appear in the book) but the way I read the post you (OP) are stating because your child does not behave in this manner they are wrong in how they portrayed him and/or portrayed a child with Aspbergers and that is what I don't get.

People are individual as it is..even children act and react and interact in different ways and most certainly children on the spectrum are extremely varied in how they behave as well. What this kid did/how he acted is how he behaves/acts..yours is different and that is totally normal. Another kid on the spectrum might react or behave in a totally different way from the kid in the movie and your kid OP...I would think you would be well aware of that.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Are all kids with Aspergers exactly alike in every way?

Exactly. They most certainly are not. In fact, the child says he was tested and that the results were inconclusive.