Watched this movie on AMC channel yesterday. Mr Husbern chanced upon it while browsing through the channels. π
The story is abt a woman in her late 20s who has been autistic since youth, Molly McKay (Elisabeth Shue) is left in the care of her bachelor brother, Buck (Aaron Eckhart). Given her extended time in a mental institution, her withdrawn behavior and their estrangement, Buck and Molly don't interact easily, though he comes to find her innocence both endearing and frustrating. Eventually, Buck reluctantly agrees to let Molly undergo an experimental procedure that may give her a more normal life.
The experiment worked. Molly began to learn new things. Molly began to socialise. Molly began to adapt to normal life. Molly stayed with her brother Buck.
But it wasn't for long. Molly went back to her autistic self. She couldn't even handle with the flipping sound of books while she was in a library. Buck had to sent Molly back to the hospital because of her condition. With the experiment being unsuccessful, Molly wld hv to be sent back to the mental institution if Buck cldn't have her at his house. But being siblings...Buck cldn't leave Molly alone. He prepared a room with lots of shoes for Molly....in his house.
A very touching movie. To us especially. Being an autism family. It is very important to have acceptance from people around especially one's own family. And a family belongs together...not separated.
This movie is very real. Awareness & acceptance is very important for people with autism. Autism is a mental disorder. In layman term...an autistic person is a crazy person. But only to the ignorants.
A child with autism is very different from an adult with autism. Perception of people will change. It is easier to accept a child with autism than an adult with autism.
Accepting is not abt changing. You don't change a person. You can never change a person. Even through experimental procedures. You hv to accept the person. Especially if the person is born that way.
As in this movie, Molly went through an experimental procedure on her brain. Yes, she changed for the better. But not for long. Molly went back to her autistic self.
Something similar happened to Aqil. Is happening actually.
For the past one month, we have been working closely with his sch teachers & therapist & social worker to get his haywired sleeping corrected. Why? Because they want to change his schedule in sch. They think Aqil is capable of doing & learning more & hence wants him to attend longer sch hours. But they refused to just change his sch hrs until Aqil starts waking up earlier.
We hv told his sch that he was on a 4hr sch programme while at EIPIC....so it shld be ok to put him on a 4hr schedule. But they still want to make sure his sleeping time is corrected before doing so. *sigh*
And over the past 3 weeks...Aqil's sleeping had been good - sleeping at around 11pm/12mn & waking up at around 8/9am. But these few days...his sleeping time shifted again....going back to his 'normal' haywired sleeping time. π¬
This is the first time we are working closely with the sch. Nevertheless, we have like since forever, tried to change his sleeping time....even though we have very well adapted ourselves to his sleeping time. π
See what I mean? It is difficult...almost impossible to change a person especially is that person is not normal. No matter how hard we try to introduce them to the world...they will always go back to their 'own world'.
We can get them to adapt to us...to our world. But we can never change them.
And they need us to know this. They need us to know they exist. They need us to understand coz they can't understand us. They need us to accept them...as they are.
I hug Aqil everyday. I hugged him to put myself to sleep. And I realise that our lil king is getting bigger. Each day. And he is turning 10 in a few mths time. Two digit age.
Our lil king will be a teenager. Many changes will take place in his body. Many changes will take place in his life. These are changes which he can't refuse...and we can't stop. He will be facing lots of changes...why do we have to make him face more changes?
Seriously, what they need is acceptance. Please accept them.
For what they are. π
