Ben X is a 2007 film made in Belgium about a high school teen with high functioning autism who finds a unique way of dealing with the cruel bullying of his classmates. This film literally kept me glued to my seat, which frankly is unusual since I tend to fall asleep within the first 30 minutes of sitting down in front of most movies.
The film brings to light the impact that bullying has on those who experience it. Watching repeated bullying incidents in the film is very painful, but what's amazing about this story is watching Ben find a way to enlighten those around him and not just find his way through a most difficult situation, but come to realize that it is okay to be the person he was born to be.
This film made me pause and think about our children in the mainstream setting. How difficult life must be for them not just having to deal with their school work but, because of their autism, the social struggle to fit in with their peers. Think of the anxiety that must be present for these students. For my own daughter this was not a concern, because she attended a school for special needs and was equal and happy among her peers.
But for mainstream educators the focus is on academics and encouraging their students to get the grades needed to go on to college. In so doing, very little is done to accommodate the social needs of those on the autism spectrum. Many schools offer counseling for students on the spectrum who need help navigating the social pressures around them, but what kind of counseling is required of neuro-typical kids when it comes to understanding those with autism?
In order to promote success among those on the spectrum, we need to educate the general population about what it means to have autism and how to be more understanding and accepting of this population. Those with autism must learn to get along in a neuro-typical world, but life would be better for everyone if the neuro-typical population were better informed and aware of the difficulties that people with autism are faced with on a daily basis. For example, police who are taught to recognize the difficulties of those living with autism are better prepared to handle a person with autism appropriately rather than having a misunderstood situation get out of hand and possibly end tragically.
So, should we be providing counseling to just those with autism, or should we be counseling all students as part of health education? Educating neuro-typical students about autism and it's difficulties could help ease the way for those that are in the mainstream today, and in so doing, help those that are out in the real world be treated fairly by the better educated population of tomorrow.
The film brings to light the impact that bullying has on those who experience it. Watching repeated bullying incidents in the film is very painful, but what's amazing about this story is watching Ben find a way to enlighten those around him and not just find his way through a most difficult situation, but come to realize that it is okay to be the person he was born to be.
This film made me pause and think about our children in the mainstream setting. How difficult life must be for them not just having to deal with their school work but, because of their autism, the social struggle to fit in with their peers. Think of the anxiety that must be present for these students. For my own daughter this was not a concern, because she attended a school for special needs and was equal and happy among her peers.
But for mainstream educators the focus is on academics and encouraging their students to get the grades needed to go on to college. In so doing, very little is done to accommodate the social needs of those on the autism spectrum. Many schools offer counseling for students on the spectrum who need help navigating the social pressures around them, but what kind of counseling is required of neuro-typical kids when it comes to understanding those with autism?
In order to promote success among those on the spectrum, we need to educate the general population about what it means to have autism and how to be more understanding and accepting of this population. Those with autism must learn to get along in a neuro-typical world, but life would be better for everyone if the neuro-typical population were better informed and aware of the difficulties that people with autism are faced with on a daily basis. For example, police who are taught to recognize the difficulties of those living with autism are better prepared to handle a person with autism appropriately rather than having a misunderstood situation get out of hand and possibly end tragically.
So, should we be providing counseling to just those with autism, or should we be counseling all students as part of health education? Educating neuro-typical students about autism and it's difficulties could help ease the way for those that are in the mainstream today, and in so doing, help those that are out in the real world be treated fairly by the better educated population of tomorrow.
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