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Autism and fear of tv/movies

Cleopatra37

Hi Everyone

My 11 year old son has high functioning Autism and is generally a happy child but gets extremely anxious when he watches films with "real" people. If the actors get hurt or injured or killed even though it's an age appropriate film, he cries and turns away from the tv. Tonight we were watching Indiana Jonews and he started crying. He said he didn't like the ants crawling into the mans mouth. I always stop the film watching and reassure him gently that they are only acting and it isn't real, but it doesn't make any difference to his anxiety. I am a teaching assistant in the same high school he's going to in September and I know he will have to watch some films in certain lessons that the children will discuss and write about afterwards. One of these films will be The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which is quite upsetting at the end. I don't know how my son will cope with this! He loves cartoons and comedies because it's obvious they aren't real but I would like him to watch something again a bit more real to life. Does anyone have any ideas, tips or suggestions to help him? Has anyone else experienced the same thing? 

Thankyou 

  • in reply to crystal12

    I have had this just this afternoon with my 11 yr old. I normally watch any movie first and basically tell him what will happen just so I can get some time to enjoy it myself. I like watching movies as my own special interests include fantasy, sci fi, jiu-jitsu and orchestral music so what’s not to love about an action movie or even a Disney film? Well apparently, everything.

    He gets totally overwhelmed with the emotional journey the characters are on. I have the advantage of age in that I have seen various plot twists before or can spot patterns or devices in the script or music that give clues to the upcoming scenes. He cannot do this unless I verbally analyse it for him. 
    Maybe my years pre internet allowed me to become desensitised to the length of time films take to develop characters and be able to enjoy them for the artistic spectacle that they are. 
    He has sat through numerous clip shows on you tube of the “best memes” from these films but can’t sit through the films themselves. 
    I do understand that cgi is so good these days it’s hard to know what is real but even really old films get to him.
    I need to be the adult and allow him the space to walk away if he chooses but we cannot go to a cinema for this reason. He freaks out when the lights dim. 
     He knows that films need to be studied sometimes in high school so I do my best to explain about the clues I see to help him deal with it. That’s all I can do. 
    Do try a black and white film or historical film as it may help to keep things in context. Sometimes, rarely,  they have worked. Good luck. 

  • hi - Rebles advice is good.  Sometimes it's the shock of something a person with autism wasn't expecting that can cause distress.  So advance preparation could help - it does in most areas of their lives.  As you say, he was reassured when he saw how Titanic was made.  Tv/movies can be a minefield.  When something's obviously fiction, such as sci fi, etc, then it's easier to say it's pretend.  When something is factual, or based on fact, then it's more difficult.  I watched the boy in the striped pjs last night and found thought it an "adult" film, in the sense of it's subject matter.  Hope you can smooth the way for your son.

  • Thankyou Rebles for your advice, it makes so much sense and I will definitely try it! One film he has seen is Titanic so I found the making of it on the Internet and my son was happily amazed at how it was done and how clever the ideas were! 

  • As we all well know, one of the biggest fears in the autistic child's life is the fear of the unknown.  Why not try forewarning your son of what is going to happen in these films - watch them yourself first, then maybe sit down with him and tell him what is going to happen and why (if his understanding goes that far), - use emoticons like smiley faces or sad faces to help show him the general feeling of the film. 

    It is probably the shock of what happens to the people in the film, as much as anything, and you may find that with a little forewarning he will not get so upset.