Synopsis: Bruno and Malik have been living in a world apart for 20 years, the one of children and adolescents with autism. In both of their associations, they form young people from difficult districts to lead what’s called the “ultra-complex” cases of autism. An uncommon relationship between uncommon people.
This movie is a must-see when you are interested in the world of autism. It relates the reality of the difficulties parents and people working with young people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are faced to everyday.
The autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental pathology that touches 700 000 people in France of which 100 000 are less than 20 years old. The term “spectrum” is used because autism is a continuum that varies from high potential to learning disability. There is not only one kind of profile. Each person with autism is unique. The most known profile is the high potential profile, but it is not the most common. Society depicts less the learning disabilities aspect of Autism. Moreover, most of the time, those cases are hidden in hospital, specialized institutes or at home. Unfortunately, those cases are more common than we think and are very difficult to take care of.
I really liked that movie because I could relate to the characters helping the adolescents with ASD. I work with an association called “J’interviendrai” which is practically the same as the one that is portrayed in the movie. The association takes care of ASD children because sometimes, they have nowhere to go due to the closing of specialized institutes but also when the host family or the parents of the ASD child need a break. Most of the time, the association organises holiday camps where the principal activity is walking in the forest. Walking permits to stimulate the body of the children but also their mind because you can touch the different texture the nature offers, and it is also a perfect relaxing environment.
Taking care of those cases is an everyday challenge, we must make most of the day go as smooth as we can. Our priority is to help them daily and to provide them with a safe environment in which they can peacefully live. It is not always easy because some of them don’t speak, they can be violent or not pay attention to us or the potential danger.
Working with them is a real challenge because you must forget all your norms and the way you interact with other people to enter the world of ASD children. You must try to understand how they work and how to interact with them without putting them in a difficult position. When you do make a connection with them, it is something out of this world. It is a total unique and wonderful relationship. It makes you grow in a way nothing else can do.
So I really encourage people to go watch this movie because you can get through it the difficulty but also the beauty of working with ASD children.
Useful words :
Cases of autism: des cas d’autisme
Uncommon : hors du commun
Specialized instituted : établissement spécialisé
Learning disabilities: déficience intellectuelle.
Go as smooth as we can: aller aussi bien que possible