Tay (coming home from school): What are you watching?
Me: Temple Grandin. It's the story of an autistic woman who..
Tay: I don't want to watch a stupid movie about a stupid autistic... (sitting down)
(after a long silent viewing, the credits roll)
Me: Those are actual photos of her and...
Tay: Is she a real person?
Me: Yes.
(Tay jumps up and runs to her room)
A lot of Temple's behaviors as shown in the movie were very similar to Tay's. The scene that hooked her was the scene after the party at her mother's house, when she's in her room talking to her mom, wishing for her "squeeze machine". It's so seldom that Tay sees other people, or representations of other people, with these behaviors in a positive setting that she really seemed able to relate it Temple Grandin on some level.
I know I had delayed watching this movie for a long time. I am always a little skeptical of other people's stories. I know that each family searches, often in the experiences of others, for some glimmer of understanding, of hope, or some magic cure. I've always been one of those people who believe you should take a strength based approach, and not merely direct a child's entire educational experience on their perceived weaknesses.
I don't know what Tay got out of this. I know if she weren't getting something, she wouldn't have remained seated and watching. Afterwards she went back to her "work": her animations. I'm not sure how she's processing this, or if she'll ever think of this again. I'd like to think that she will.
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