Savant Syndrome and Autistic Savant free essay sample

Should Rainman Stay? In the movie â€Å"Rainman† the main characters Rainman and Charlie Babbit, two brothers separated at childhood ages. In the movie there dad passes away and all the money goes to Rainman. Charlie finds out he has a brother and his brother is getting all the money. It just so happens Charlie’s business was in the hole eighty-thousand dollars. So Charlie drives to where brother is institutionalized to meet his brother. When there he takes Rainman thinking he can receive the money in having custody of Rainman. Also when there he finds out his brother is an autistic savant. The autistic savant is one of the most fascinating cognitive phenomena in psychology. Autistic savant refers to individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills not exhibited by most persons. Historically, individuals with these exceptional skills were called idiot savants, a French term meaning unlearned (idiot) skill (savant). In a 1978 article in Psychology Today, Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Savant Syndrome and Autistic Savant or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Bernard Rimland introduced a more appropriate term autistic savant, which is the current label. After that he decides to kidnap Rainman and take him with him to California to receive their dad’s money. Later on in the movie the Charlie grows a brotherly bond with Rainman. At the end Charlie and the institution argues who should have custody of Rainman. Who should Rainman go with? Charlie took Rainman from the institution thinking he could inherit his father’s fortune. Charlie had never taken care of an autistic savant; therefor he has no experience with taking care of him. On their journey together Charlie learns things about Rainman and autistic savant. And grows to learn and love him as a brother. For example when Charlie realizes Rainman has certain needs and has to do certain things at certain times. I remember in the movie Rainman had to have 12 cheese balls and nothing more or less. Or when he couldn’t stand being touch or cursed at. But later in the movie Charlie starts to adjust and really show affection towards Rainman, and really shows me that he might be cable of keeping Rainman with him. On the other hand the institution would be a good place for Rainman. You ask why? Most likely the people there are educated with knowing how to treat people with autistic needs. But on the other hand you can’t get attention and love like you would get from a family member. So I think Rainman should stay with his brother where he can get real loving care from his brother and grow a lifetime connection with a family member and have real support and help from the heart. Rain man would be good at the institution but better off with Charlie. The best place for Rainman to go is with Charlie. I think Charlie should get a chance to show he can really take care of Rainman and show responsibility. The institution would be good but Rainman would have more freedom and fun with Charlie. And who doesn’t like a brotherly bond? Work Cited Research: Autistic Savants: Autism Research Institute. Autism Is Treatable: Autism Research Institute. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. .