'Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism' Film Review

Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism *****

I am a man living with Aspergers Syndrome, a form of Autism. And with this comes a range of difficulties, feelings and emotions. Yet, the nature of Autism is such that no two individuals diagnosed with it will ever be completely the same and thus I am unable to fully appreciate how the condition affects others who have it. This is particularly true of the opposite sex. It has been established that females with the condition experience a very different set of problems resulting from it, problems that I am not fully able to understand, and also that many women can slip through the cracks, going completely undetected – hence a key reason why so many fewer women are diagnosed than men. After watching this short video, Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism, however, I am much closer to such an understanding than I was before.

“This video describes the feelings often faced by girls with Asperger Syndrome”
- Laura Paxton

Just like other short videos on Autism that I have reviewed, this film features a succession of still images – intercut with text segments – set to music and just like every one of the others it also manages to put across a unique (uniqueness is something that is very much synonymous with Autism) perspective and the manner in which it paints the struggle of girls and women with Autism proves very effective, the imagery (both photos and artwork that illustrate the points being made) used being both hauntingly beautiful and heartbreakingly sad at the same time, the words used to describe the feelings being very eloquent and poetic, and the musical accompaniment being suitably enchanting and appropriate to the mood the film is trying to create. While the film is very short it successfully says a lot about key feelings being experienced by females with Autism – the lack of understanding of social cues, the desire to have friends and fit in, the feeling of loneliness, the fantasy worlds that girls with the condition often lose themselves in, the “special interests” they comfort themselves with, the “social vortex” they get lost in, the way they imitate others in an effort to fit in, the fact that the condition can affect anyone regardless of culture and the stress and exhaustion that can result from the condition – and if you watch this beautifully made video you are sure to have a greatly improved understanding of the difficulties faced by girls and women with Autism with afterwards. I certainly did.

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This is a follow up to my previous post which included the full film of Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism and can be found here:
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/10/short-film-feelings-of-girls-and-women.html

Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Short Film: 'Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism'

The original source for this video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNFLe2FLKj4

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Feelings of Girls and Women with Autism is a delightful short video that effectively conveys the feelings, emotions and difficulties experienced by females diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is a very beautiful and emotive piece of work that conveys its messages quite eloquently.

A full review for this film will follow shortly.

Robert Mann BA (Hons)

'I Love Somebody with Autism' Film Review

I Love Somebody with Autism *****

“Open your eyes. And experience the magic. I will get there when you believe.” These are the words that open I Love Somebody with Autism, another delightful homemade movie about Autism, this time relating more specifically to one person with the condition – a young boy called Jonathan, whose imagination is very much the subject of this film. The film is essentially just a sequence of images set against the rather delightful music of Mariah Carey’s When You Believe but there is something really magical about the way it has been put together. The film isn’t so much trying to put a wider message across as show how gifted and artistic Jonathan is, the film consisting of drawings that he has done (even opening with his own versions of movie studio idents for Disney, Paramount and THX) intermingled with some photos of himself making some of his artistic creations. There is real passion on display in the images and the film successfully puts across that Autism isn’t all bad for Jonathan, presenting him with gifts as well as difficulties. The film is very well edited and put together and the chosen music is a perfect accompanying piece. Simply put, I Love Somebody with Autism is a delightful short film and one that, while being about Jonathan, is relevant to anyone with Autism as such gifts and abilities can be found in any individual diagnosed with the condition and a greater recognition of the positives that come from Autism as opposed to all the negatives is something that the world could really do with developing.

The closing words from the film that appear below say everything that needs to said. Jonathan isn’t viewed as a burden by his family but rather a unique individual who should be treasured not excluded.

“To our dearest Jonathan.

We are so proud of you despite your disability you’re among the luckiest special child with gifted artistic hands & an excellent photography memory.

You will have difficulty expressing yourself but your work of art speaks for you...
I know someday your prayers will be heard because you are Blessed and God loves you dearly.
We all wish you a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

We Love You,

Papa, Mama, Joan & Joshua.”

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This is a follow up to my previous post which contains the full film of I Love Somebody with Autism and can be found here:
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/10/short-film-i-love-somebody-with-autism.html

Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Short Film: 'I Love Somebody with Autism'

The original source for this video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPoKVsw1I9Y

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I Love Somebody with Autism is a delightful homemade movie about a young boy called Jonathan who has Autism and whose gifts make up for the difficulties the condition creates for him to an extent. The movie is a compilation of images that he has drawn set to music.

A full review of this film will follow shortly.

Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Dream comes true for Lizzy

Dream comes true for Lizzy

Article from Shrewsbury Chronicle - September 18, 2008

A 14-year-old autistic girl from Shrewsbury is trailblazing the way for other sufferers after winning the role of a character with the condition in a television adaptation of a popular children’s book.

Lizzy Clark, from Copthorne, has always wanted to act, but after being bullied at school lost her confidence. She is now over the moon after being selected for a part in a television adaptation of a Jacqueline Wilson novel, Dustbin Baby, which starts filming tomorrow.

Nicky Clark, Lizzy’s mum, discovered the opportunity on the national autism website which she browses regularly because both Lizzy and her sister Emily, 11, suffer from autism which is a brain development disorder.

“We saw the audition on the website and they were looking for a girl between 12 and 15,” she said.

“Lizzy had never done a professional audition before so I made a short film raising awareness of autism and I sent a link through to the director. We had a call and she was invited to London. She didn’t think she’d done very well and was really nervous about it, but I thought she’d done fantastically well.

“They said they were delighted with her, it’s really exciting and great for Lizzy. She’s always wanted to act but has been bullied at school and lost her confidence.

“It’s a UK first that someone with autism is actually playing someone with autism, it’s such a fantastic outcome and it’s very good for her self-esteem.”

A spokesperson for Adcote School where Lizzy goes said: “We’re all really pleased she’s been given the part, we’re all thrilled for her and think it’s very good they’ve chosen someone like Lizzy.”

© 2010 Shrewsbury Chronicle

The original source for this article can be found here:
http://www.shrewsburychronicle.com/2008/09/18/dream-comes-true-for-lizzie/

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This post is a follow up to my other recent post which can be found here:
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/07/fame-for-actress-with-asperger-syndrome.html


Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Fame for actress with Asperger syndrome

Fame for actress with Asperger syndrome

Article from BBC Shropshire - September 16, 2008

A Shrewsbury teenager appeared alongside Dakota Blue Richards in BBC One's 2008 adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's Dustbin Baby. Lizzy Clark plays a girl with Asperger Syndrome - even more remarkable given that she also has the condition.


Fourteen-year-old Lizzy played the part of Poppy, a teenager with Asperger syndrome, in the BBC TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's children's book Dustbin Baby. It was Lizzy's first professional acting role.

Lizzy also suffers from Asperger syndrome, offering her a unique take on her new character.

The syndrome is a relatively mild form of autism. Lizzy said that because it's subtle, people don't see her as autistic: "They see me as someone who's a bit strange and not very easy to get on with, although I do have lots of friends who love me and support me."

In Dustbin Baby, the local teenager appeared alongside household names like Juliet Stevenson, and star of The Golden Compass, Dakota Blue Richards. Jacqueline Wilson, president of the Shrewsbury Bookfest, is one of the UK's most popular children's authors and Lizzy is a big fan.

It was Lizzy's mother, Nicky, who saw an advert for the role on an autism website: "I think it's incredibly positive that the BBC chose to find an actress who has the same condition as the character."

Being on set was the best experience of Lizzy's life. She said: "At first it was a bit intimidating," being with such big stars as Juliet Stevenson and Dakota Blue Richards, but after a while, she said you, "stop noticing the cameras".

Nicky Clark says getting the role has been a huge boost to Lizzy's self-esteem. She said: "It was lovely for Lizzy; it was lovely for people with autism... to show that anything is achievable."

The original source for this article can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2008/09/16/aspergers_actress_feature.shtml

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Another success story showing that a person with Asperger's Syndrome can achieve great things in life, Lizzy Clark really is an inspiration to both those with the condition and their parents. She shows that while many things may be out of reach for us Aspies, if we focus on trying to achive the one thing that we love doing and that we are truly great at we can not only find a great job and/or career but also find a place in the world where we truly feel that we belong.

Having seen Dustbin Baby myself I can honestly say that Lizzy Clark really does have a terrific talent for acting. The idea of having someone with Aspergers Syndrome play a character with the condition is an inspired one as it allows the actor to draw from their real life experiences for the part and Lizzy's portrayal of Poppy really captures the essence of a character who may seem a bit odd and may not fully understand the world around her but makes up for it with heart and a refreshingly innocent attitude.

I wish Lizzy Clark all the best and hope that she continues to do well as an actress.

Robert Mann BA (Hons)

New horizons for beautiful mind

New horizons for beautiful mind

Article from Yorkshire Post - October 27, 2009

By ROB PREECE

MEETING and introducing new people was never easy for Daniel Lightwing at school in Yorkshire but now he lives in a city of 17 million people and plays an unlikely role in helping Britain forge closer links with China.

In three amazing years at Cambridge University, Mr Lightwing got married, graduated in two subjects, appeared in a feature-length film and a television documentary, and was named one of the best child stars ever to appear on screen.

Now the 21-year-old's impressive CV boasts a further distinction after he became the first British student to be awarded a Chinese government scholarship to study at Beijing University.

Not bad for a young man whose problems at school were only explained after he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism which affects how he relates to others.

Millions of television viewers were introduced to Mr Lightwing, from York, in the film Beautiful Young Minds, which was screened on BBC2 in October 2007.

The Bafta and Emmy-nominated film followed his year-long quest to become a member of the UK maths team and his gap-year trip to China, where he met his future wife Yan.

Yan's difficulties in obtaining a visa and immigration clearance were also followed by the film-makers, and the cameras were present at the couple's wedding in York in December 2006.

Mr Lightwing's story delighted movie critics, and earlier this year film magazine The Big Picture included him in its list of most appealing child stars, along with actors from the films Slumdog Millionaire, Life is Beautiful, Pan's Labyrinth and Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Last year, Mr Lightwing was featured in a documentary for the Australian TV science programme Catalyst, which looked at the link between having Asperger and thinking with a highly mathematical mind.

He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, this summer after majoring in both maths and Chinese, having already applied for the Beijing scholarship.

His mother Carolyn said: "The fact that he was not only good at the Chinese but also another subject persuaded the Oriental Studies department at Cambridge to nominate him.

"He had to write a description of himself in Chinese and he had to be backed by three people from the university to write references for him."He applied for it back in February but didn't hear until August. He is delighted that his application was successful."

Mr Lightwing, who was educated at York College and St Peter's School, moved to China in June, not knowing whether he would be awarded the scholarship but keen to get on to another course if he was not successful.

The scholarship fully sponsors his tuition fees, health insurance, accommodation, living and travel expenses for seven years of postgraduate study.

He has begun studying for a masters degree in linguistics and applied linguistics, specialising in computational linguistics, and he hopes to follow this with a PhD in syntax and programming.

Mrs Lightwing, who hopes to travel to China next summer, said: "It's a lot of money and a very high-value scholarship, and I think it shows that there are efforts to promote relations between the UK and China."

Quite a few people have come from the US in the past, but we believe that Daniel is the first student from the UK to be awarded a scholarship like this."

He has always said that he finds it easier out there than he does in the UK, and apparently that is quite common in people with Asperger."

People in China understand better some of the difficulties he has, and particularly the problems he has when he meets people for the first time, because he is in a foreign country.

"I think, in this country, he finds it harder because people do not expect him to have such difficulties when he is meeting them for the first time."I think he would like to stay in academia, but he is also very interested in syntax and I think he would love to work for a company like Microsoft.

"He is interested in the interaction between computer language and human language, which is a field of study that could help other people with Asperger."

GLOBAL MATHS CHALLENGE

Daniel Lightwing was chosen to represent the UK in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), a global maths competition attended by 500 students from about 100 different countries.

Beautiful Young Minds charted his progress from the first UK squad selection meeting in November 2005, through to the main contesr in Slovenia a year later.

He went on to win a silver medal in the IMO, a test with six questions so difficult that only half of the 500 competitors were able to attempt more than two answers.

©2010 Johnston Press Digital Publishing

The original article can be found here:
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/New-horizons-for-beautiful-mind.5768620.jp

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This is a follow-up to my recent posts. Other articles I have posted about Daniel Lightwing can be found here:
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/01/tv-spotlight-on-maths-whizzkid.html
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/01/documentary-beautiful-young-minds.html
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/01/autistic-genius-finds-true-love.html

Robert Mann BA (Hons)

TV spotlight on maths whizzkid

TV spotlight on maths whizzkid

Article from The York Press - October 12, 2007

By HAYDN LEWIS.

A TEENAGE maths sensation and former York College student will feature in a BBC documentary on Sunday.

Eighteen-year-old Daniel Lightwing is one of a group of exceptionally gifted young mathematicians taking part in Beautiful Young Minds, on BBC2, at 9pm.

Daniel, of Warthill, near York, gained a place to read maths at Trinity College, Cambridge, when he was 16, but was asked to defer his entry until he was 18.

The documentary tells the story of some of the brightest mathematical brains of a generation.
Each year, exceptionally gifted teenagers from over 90 countries compete for medals at the Inter-national Mathematical Olympiad. The film follows a group of brilliant teen-agers as they battle it out to become the chosen six selected to represent the UK.

Daniel, who was 17 at the time of filming, has been diagnosed with Aspergers' Syndrome, a form of autism that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others. But he recognises that "it's good to be different".

Apart from mathematics, the most important thing in Daniel's life is his wife, Zhu Yan.
The couple met when Daniel spent three months travelling around China - during which time he taught himself Mandarin to fluency.

In the programme, Daniel is desperate to win a medal at the Olympiad and we follow his progress as he gears up for the competition and brings Zhu Yan back from China to his family home in York with the intention of marrying her. As the competition draws closer, minds and emotions are pushed to the limit.

It follows his attempts to represent the UK at the Olympiad, where he won a bronze medal while competing against the best in the world. There were 12 countries taking part in the contest, and each of them put forward six mathematicians.

As The Press reported at the time, Daniel spent a year training with the UK maths squad, teaching English in China and travelling.

He was then selected for the UK team at the main International Mathematics Olympiad, in Slovenia.

His mum, Carolyn, a maths teacher, said: "He's always been very exceptional at maths, and the fact it's been recognised to this point now is really fantastic."

© Copyright 2001-2009 Newsquest Media Group

The original article can be found here:

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1755315.tv_spotlight_on_maths_whizzkid/

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This is a follow-up to my recent posts. Other articles I have posted about Daniel Lightwing can be found here:
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/01/documentary-beautiful-young-minds.html
http://thewonderfulworldofautism.blogspot.com/2010/01/autistic-genius-finds-true-love.html

Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Documentary: 'Beautiful Young Minds'

Beautiful Young Minds Part 1 of 4

Beautiful Young Minds Part 2 of 4

Beautiful Young Minds Part 3 of 4


Watch Beautiful Young Minds [Part 3] in Educational View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

NOTE: Part 3 is included as an embedded video due to the file size being too large for upload.

Beautiful Young Minds Part 4 of 4

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Here is a BAFTA nominated British documentary by Morgan Matthews entitled Beautiful Young Minds which tells the story of several individuals gifted with impressive mathematical abilities who are trying to get accepted into the International Mathematical Olympiad. Among the individuals, most of whom have some degree of Autism, hoping to get accepted is Daniel Lightwing. This film focuses particularly on his efforts, as well as the difficulties he faces in his day to day life, and also his relationship with Zhu Yan, their marriage actually being filmed for this documentary. The film not only manages to be entertaining but also gives an honest, sincere, sensitive and heartfelt look into the lives of its subjects and is very well done in every respect.

Robert Mann BA (Hons)