By Anthony KaDarrell Thigpen 

E.mail: anthony_thigpen@aol.com

AUTISM ACADEMY – As we let out the children at the Autism Academy, a school for children with autism, for the Thanksgiving season we’re able to educate ourselves about autism with an unveiling movie. Read below about a new movie recently out that dives into autism with a splash of suspense.

The Thanksgiving season is a great time for family fun, dessert indulging, a movie matinée and expressing gratitude for all good things. Well, if you’re looking for an action packed holiday movie laced with some intriguing content about autism, keep reading.

Recently released blockbuster, “The Accountant” starring Ben Affleck has grossed over $138 million – and counting. The action thriller gives people with autism a superhero, but consider yourself warned, the movie is R-rated due to the violent content. The movie plot is like a puzzle, centered on corporate crime and body counts, but outlined in autism transforming into heroism.

Screen writer Bill Dubuque, embedded a strong and supernatural sense of autistic valor into the movie. He also unveiled the psychological and social battle of people with autism, but he celebrated it as bravery. Dubuque daringly painted the autism community with broad strokes and imagery defining autism as an X-Men style of sci-fi characters.

In an effort to remain respectful and accountable to readers of the Autism Academy Blog, we take a journalistic approach to providing further information about this movie. Professional journalists stick with facts and objectivity, avoiding personal opinion. Unless of course, we are inspired to write an editorial.

Consider this blog an editorial.

The movie left a lot to the imagination. Could we possibly be undermining the potential powers of people with autism? Without question, an autistic mind possesses a sense of untapped brilliance and genius.

The movie did two things poorly and irresponsibly. Producers failed to give proceeds toward research and support of autism, and it diminishes the supernatural role that mothers play in this community everyday.

Whether fact or fiction, Dubuque illustrates that autism super strength is created when fathers are present to challenge their children. Sounds thrilling for dads, but truth is, there are some pretty amazing moms committed to motivating their kids – and doing so daily. Unlike the tragedy of absent fathers, abandoning newly diagnosed children with autism, parental roles were reversed in “The Accountant.”

The son with autism, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) became a mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people. As a CPA, he makes his living as a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organizations. He takes on a state-of-the-art robotics company as a legitimate client. As Wolff gets closer to the truth about a $60 million discrepancy, the body count rises as he rescues the innocent.

Sounds like an ordinary suspense flick with organized crime, killing and conspiracy, but it’s not. The film focuses on sensory, stemming, behavior, isolation, fixation, nonverbal cues and extreme intelligence of people with autism. With no uncertainty, children with autism have untapped superhuman abilities, and for this, parents ought to be thankful.

After counting your many blessings and stuffing your belly with Thanksgiving dinner and dessert, go see “The Accountant” and show your support of autism. Afterward, perhaps you’ll view autism as heroism, too.

To provide an upstanding education for your child with autism, contact our school to enroll today.

Anthony KaDarrell Thigpen studied journalism at the University of St. Thomas. Send comments directly to Autism Academy Blog writer by emailing him at:  Anthony_thigpen@aol.com