A few weeks ago we released our ranking of 10 films on Psychology and mental disorders, with recommendations to deepen your knowledge of behavioral science.

Today we are back to the charge to offer you a list of fifteen films about Autism . Autism spectrum disorder is one of those conditions that arouses a lot of interest in all of us. And there are a good number of films that have managed to detail precisely the living conditions of people who suffer from it, and also the value of families and teachers who fight every day to improve the situation of people suffering from Autism.

Autism Films: Understanding the Disorder

The seventh art has been in charge of collecting stories about people with Autism . Surely there are many other films that we have forgotten, our knowledge about this area is quite deep, but not infinite. Anyway, if you know any other interesting title, you can leave it in the comments section, and we will try to include the film you propose in this list.

What we can assure you is that the twelve films that you will see below treat the subject of Autism with an interesting vision. They are films that can teach us a lot about the reality of autism spectrum disorders . We recommend that you write them down and watch them as soon as possible. Shall we start?

1. Mater amatísima (1980)

Mater amatísima is the story of John, a child with Autism . Clara, his mother, tries to educate John to be a child integrated into society. But little by little, the mother-daughter relationship is pushing Clara into a bubble.

2. Rain Man (1988)

A classic of the big screen. Dustin Hoffman plays Kim Peek, a young man with a rather deep autism, but with the extraordinary ability to memorize everything he reads. His brother in the fiction, played by a young Tom Cruise, will discover that life can be seen through different eyes. A story based on real events .

3. Sally’s Secret (1993)

In this shocking film, a woman, Ruth, is widowed when her husband has an accident at work. Ruth’s daughter, who has since lost her father, reacts in a way that alarms her mother . She decides to go to a professional who is an expert in autism spectrum disorders. This psychologist, Jake, will try to help Sally.

4. A silent witness (1994)

A child with autism witnesses the death of his parents, who are brutally murdered . Being the only witness of the double homicide, the police ask for help from a psychiatrist in order to clarify the case, through a complicated communication with the child. A film that went totally unnoticed when it was released, but which is interesting because it deals with the communication problems linked to Autism quite well.

5. Nell (1994)

Nell, embodied in the popular Jodie Foster, is an extravagant young woman who lives apart from society , in a cabin lost in the woods. Following the death of her mother, Nell shuns all human contact and isolates herself completely. One day, two researchers discover her existence and start following her to study her behaviour and the way she acts. Interesting film.

6. Mercury Rising: Red Hot (1998)

An FBI cop named Art Jeffries is in charge of the wiretaps. In a somewhat gray position, Jeffries gets a little frustrated. Until one day, his bosses charge him with investigating a case of a child who disappeared after his parents were killed. The search is long, but when he manages to find the child’s whereabouts, Jeffries realizes that he is a child with Autism with incredible cognitive abilities.

7. Molly (1999)

Little Molly suffers from Autism and has lived all her life in a health centre where she receives care from doctors, psychiatrists and educators. Her parents died years ago. Luckily, her older brother goes to the centre to get Molly out of there and start a life together . An exciting film, highly recommended.

8. Mockingbird don’t sing (2001)

In a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles, a teenager of only 12 years old lives totally isolated from society , locked up by her parents in a small room from which she has not left since she turned one year old. Without any contact with the outside world or other human beings, Genie lives totally absorbed in her thoughts, immobile. Luckily, she is discovered and for her a totally different life begins, in which she must learn to speak, to relate… A magnificent film that you must not miss.

9. They call me Radio (2003)

This film is based on a real case. U n young man with hardly any friends and with a slight cognitive delay is nicknamed “Radio” because of his love of radio and listening to songs through his transistor. Radio is shy and very reserved, but one day the coach of the school’s football team, an eminent person in the village, becomes friends with him and, between jokes, manages to gain his trust. Through the coach’s support, Radio begins to build a much warmer life for itself.

10 Miracle Run: An Unexpected Journey (2004)

Corrine, a mother who raises her twin children alone , has a difficult situation: she must raise two children with Autism without the support of anyone . In spite of everything, she struggles incessantly to give them a full and normal life. An inspiring film that makes us value many things about life.

11. Thumbsucker: Hitchhiking (2005)

Justin Cobb is a 17-year-old teenager who, despite his age, still sucks his thumb . Seeing that his strange habit is starting to cause him problems, he decides to try to solve the problem by going to a specialist in hypnosis.

12. Crazy in love: Locos de amor (2005)

A story about some very unique lovers. A mbos suffer from an autism spectrum disorder that manifests itself, among other things, in dysfunctions in the emotional sphere . Donald, a taxi driver and a great expert in numerical calculation, suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, and therefore lives in very strict dynamics and routines. In addition, he is in charge of coordinating a group of people with this same condition. There he will meet Isabel, a woman who will change his life.

13. SuperBrother (2009)

This film mixes the genre of science fiction with the issue of autism. Anton is a mischievous 11-year-old boy who has an older brother with Autism. Anton does not understand his brother and wishes he could play with him. By magic, one day his brother begins to manifest certain powers that make him an extraordinary being , a hero. Both of them will have to do their best to control this supernatural gift.

14. Dear John (2010)

An FBI cop named Art Jeffries is in charge of the wiretaps. In a somewhat gray position, Jeffries gets a little frustrated. Until one day, his bosses charge him with investigating a case of a child who disappeared after his parents were killed. The search is long, but when he manages to find the child’s whereabouts, Jeffries realizes that he is a child with Autism with incredible cognitive abilities.

7. Molly (1999)

Little Molly suffers from Autism and has lived all her life in a health centre where she receives care from doctors, psychiatrists and educators. Her parents died years ago. Luckily, her older brother goes to the centre to get Molly out of there and start a life together . An exciting film, highly recommended.

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