Speaking up for autism.

March 1, 2008

Speaking up for autism

James Madden and John Stapleton | March 01, 2008

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23300022-23289,00.html

LYNNE Miller knows the difficulties of raising an autistic child. But she is also well-acquainted with the daily frustrations of dealing with the wider community's ignorance of the condition.

Lynne Miller with her autistic daughter Tyne, who has a cameo role in The Black Balloon. Picture: Vanessa Hunter

"Not only do a lot of people not understand autism, but they also don't recognise that it affects the whole family," Ms Miller said.

Tyne, 19, is the youngest of Ms Miller's three daughters.

Like many people with autism, Tyne has no obvious physical disability apart from speech impediment, and as a result her behaviour is often misinterpreted by others who are unaware of her condition.

Autism spectrum disorders are often characterised by poor social interaction and communication skills, restricted interests and obsessive behaviours. Autistic people can also become extremely upset by something as simple as a strange smell or noise, a fact not known by many.

It is hoped that a new Australian film, The Black Balloon - which has received rave reviews overseas and will open in Australia on Thursday - will heighten public awareness of autism, and of the experience of living with an autistic family member.

The film depicts a teenage boy (Rhys Wakefield) falling for a girl (model-turned-actor Gemma Ward) while struggling to deal with his severely autistic brother (Luke Ford). Toni Collette plays the boys' pregnant mother.

Senior staff of the country's largest autism organisation, Autism Spectrum Australia, are already convinced of the film's educational worth - having seen an advanced screening of the movie earlier this year - and plan to include it as part of the company's induction program for new staff.

ASA spokesman Anthony Perl said that given the "broad spectrum" of the condition, it was impossible to portray a one-size-fits-all example of the life of an autistic person. "But the film's great strength is that it demonstrates how autism affects the lives of others."

The 1988 film Rainman brought autism to public attention but dealt with a character - portrayed by Dustin Hoffman - who was an autistic savant, an extremely rare condition.

Autism experts believe that the portrayal of an autistic character in The Black Balloon is a far more authentic representation of the wider autistic experience.

Ms Miller, who teaches autistic children at South East Sydney School for Children with Autism, said because Tyne "looked normal", people were quick to judge her behaviour and did not understand that the entire family was under strain.

Ms Miller, who will attend the Sydney Premiere of The Black Balloon on Thursday, said the film was an important step in educating people. And for her daughter Tyne, who recently started her first job as a shelf stacker at Rockdale City Library, the film holds more significance, as she features as a lioness in a dance scene depicting Noah's Ark.

"It was pretty interesting being in the movie, when we played together as animals," Tyne said. "Autism means someone always likes to be alone, sometimes you like being with people and sometimes you don't. My talking, my sounds, it's difficult just a bit. It worries me a bit.

"I work at the library, I started last year. It's going well. I don't have any problems. I want to keep going working in the library. That's it. I put the books away and the DVDs away. It's OK work. A happy person? Yeah, I am."

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