Black Balloon: The Symbol of Autism - Case Study Example

FINAL ESSAY: HLTH2105 – HEALTH: A Psychological Perspective NAME: STUDENT NUMBER: TUTOR: DUE DATE: WORD COUNT: Introduction The Black Balloon is an award winning film from the Australia/British AFI award in 2008 which featured film stars; Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson and Gemma Ward along with a number of new cast members. It was a film directed by a director of first-time nature, Elissa Down. The film first went on air in Australian cinemas on 6th March 2008 but, its premiere was at the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany in February 2008. It was at the same premiere that the film was awarded a Crystal Bear perceived as the best film of feature length in the category of Generation 14plus. Jackie is a girl living around the neighbourhood of Thomas and his family. She gets to meet the boys when they bump into her house as Charlie was expressing her urge to use the toilet. With time she is able to make frequent visits the Mollison’s. As time passes by she gets along well with Thomas and Charlie, and she manages to convince Thomas to include Charlie in their daily activities such as, her swimming lessons. Jackie’s compassion towards Charlie helps Thomas to accept his brother’s condition and strengthens the bond between Jackie and him. As time progresses we see Thomas falling in love with Jackie after she shows interest in him and for also caring for his brother. She also get to get integrated with the rest of the family and joins them to celebrate the thanksgiving, upon being invited by Thomas and also because she wanted to spend time with Charlie. Theory According to Hendry and Kloep there are several resources in the development of a human being. They state that all children who are healthy are born with certain range or level of resources that is familiar that helps them develop and transform into adults who can face day to day challenges. The most important thing in this course is that these resources will change as they progress in their lifetime activities. We see that all children born get bigger and have the motivation to walk or even talk, smell, hear and see. By coming to terms with these kinds of similarities, it gives as a reason to see that we are different since time in birth. Many of the resources in human beings such as, reflexes are innate. Other types of resources are learnt with time as life progresses till death. Inequality in distribution among individuals exists just as other potential resources do. Other resources are found to be more personal to the individual such as, intelligence, but some are well integrated within the society. A resource system is usually created to be helping know the potential if an individual to cope with arising challenges in life. Cote (1996) through what is termed as “identity capital”, that consists of assets of sociology such as, educational level and psychological resources, such as critical thinking abilities, uses this concept to show the resources a person has to combat the desires and demand of modern development throughout their lifespan. As new resources are incorporated, others lost in the way. There is interdependence between potential challenges and potential resources. The variables in it are, cognitive, emotional, social, material and environmental. The variables should not be viewed in isolation, but rather they should be seen to be interactive. Acquired skills and practices connect well with biological and socio- structural variables stimulating the urge to learn new skills. For instance, take the case of a female kid, just because of her gender basis is not allowed to play games associated with the male children. She may not be able to develop some skills needed for example when she wants to protect herself from any kind of danger. Low self efficacy can also make girls develop shyness or even have less social contacts. In another point, we see that stress that causes disruption can catalyze change in one’s life. In developmental point of view, certain amount of stress can lead to someone changing positively. A task can lead to a clear positive experience or the negative elements contain in it can lead to growth in a person’s life. For instance, families with handicapped persons can exhibit great personal growth, but we can also see that a person, who lacks good administrative skills, can be stressed taking care of such a person. Although development is limited by negative experiences, growth can arise from life events which played a vital role in their desires in life, from negative to positive range. Linking behavior to theory In the story, we see that Jackie is able to develop with time and she is able to learn on how to take care of Thomas. Their differences have shown how Jackie has developed psychologically by learning how to take care of Charlie. Jackie gets to convince Thomas to allow Charlie to accompany them in their activities such as swimming. Jackie grows emotionally and is able to cope with how Charlie reacts when he becomes upset with her. Through experiencing stressful moments, Thomas is able to come into terms with his brother’s condition and accepts the fact things will never change, and through that he learns to take care of his brother and shows love and care for him. With the case of Maggie, we see that despite her having an autistic son, she is able to cope with the stress and also offers her undying love to her son. Even as she is taken ill for the pregnancy, she doesn’t want to go because she wants to look after Charlie but she has no otherwise but to go. Upon her return from the hospital, she tries to convince Thomas to embrace that fact that his brother’s condition can never change and that he might have to live with them for the rest of their lives. Critical Analysis My research will be based on the disease Autism and how it relates with the film. Autism is neurogical disorders which is developmental and shows itself during the first 3years of someone’s life span and it usually affect how the brain develops and the communication skills of a human being. It is also impairs the social interaction and exhibits behaviour which is repetitive in nature. It affects how information is processed in the brains by changing how nerve cells and their synapses operate and organize but how it occurs is not well understood. (A.D.A.M., Inc. 2012) ASD is the acronym that denotes Autism Spectrum Disorder which can also be known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Under this context Autism and ASD are considered the same. It is a physical condition which is linked to some abnormal chemistry and biology taking place in the brain. However, as I have stated circumstances causing it is still unclear according to relevant medical sources. It has paved way for a very active area for research. Some of the probable factors which causes it include; Genetic factors. A good example is the case of identical twins that are most likely to contract autism than the fraternal twins or normal siblings. Neurological problems associated with the nervous system and other chromosome abnormalities are also familiar with autism. Some of other additional causes might include, diet, mercury poisoning, changes in digestive tracts. (A.D.A.M., Inc. 2012) We see in the articles that signs of autisms are denoted, when there is impaired ability of children or a person to make friends, but for Charlie’s case we see he is able to become friends with Jackie at a faster rate. There is also the inability to sustain a conversation such that, we see Charlie has to communicate with the rest through sign language. Jackie has to learn this sign language in order to freely communicate with him. (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2012) The symptoms can be classified according to some various factors. Socially people suffering from Autism relate to people in quite a different manner from the normal human beings. Autism patients clumsy and sometimes are out of sync with other people. Just as in the film Charlie is seen to be clumsy with the things he does and Thomas and Maggie are trying hard to control his way of doing things. A good example is when we see Charlie tried to run out of the house in a high spirited mood not knowing he might when on his own that’s why Thomas goes to make sure he is safe. An autistic patient also sometimes misses on the factors which can be used to catch someone’s attention. (Yale Medical Group, (USA) 2004-2012) It also seems hard for an Autism patient to understand the inner feelings of normal people. Their capability to socialize with other people is of a much weaker level than any other normal beings. Trying to start a conversation with an autism patient is like conversing on your own since it’s like a one way communication. We witness this in the film when Charlie is required to speak using sign language to the rest of the family so that he can maintain and foster communication between the family members and himself. We also find that it is the nature of autism patient to talk so much about themselves because everyone on planet likes to blow their own trumpet. The autism patient will always want to talk about him/her self because that’s mostly what they can say. (Yale Medical Group (USA) 2004-2012) Implications for practice As a paramedic, a number of children and patients with this autism disorder don’t condone physical contact but, it will be an utmost false statement to say that all patients suffering from this disorder are like that. Some of them will always cuddle and hug with their family members and friends enjoying it with much pleasure. For instance, the case of Charlie shows compassion and feelings for his family members such as his mum Maggie. Another example is seen when one child with autism plays with the hand of another child you will find that they both enjoy doing together. Such antics might give a different perception on autistic patients. So it should not be concluded that autism patients do not condone physical contact since that would be taken as a false remark. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) An autism patient can also get traumatized by sudden sounds, smells, intensity changes in light, temperature which they might find unpleasant to their hearing or seeing. Such changes might make them react in a very weird manner due to irritation caused by such changes. In similarity to the response to physical contact, an autism patient is much better knowing something is going to happen rather than not knowing only for it to come as a surprise or shock. That might scare him or her. (National Autistic Society UK 2012) On issues concerning speech, the higher level autism in a person, the more the communication skills and speech is affected. We tend to find that, most of children and persons suffering from autism, do not utter some words or speak at all since; the severity of this disorder is on the higher side and affecting them. Also, autistic patients will tend to be repetitive in nature and will also repeat most of the words they utter most of the times. A good example in the film is when we see that Charlie repeating some of the words spoken by his brother Thomas when he is left with the task of looking after his brother. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) In addition, the behaviors of autism patient usually also repetitive and it is somehow easy to predict what one is going to do or what he or she is likely not to do. The kind of things he or she does is part of their daily routine and you will always find him or her repeating his or her actions, without knowing that they are repeating. Charlie is fond of his daily routine of banging a wooden spoon in the backyard. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) A patient or a child with autism will develop in a very different manner than any normal human being. A child without this kind of disorder will grow faster in many areas in life as compared to the one suffering from autism. It will take long for an autism patient to develop most of his or her communication or even interaction skills because, their ability to grasp common aspects of life is harder and, needs more time. We find that Charlie is not able to get some concepts in normal life. For instance he is not able to control the urge when he needs to use the toilet and begs Thomas to let him use Jackie’s bathroom. We also see that, their mode of communication which is preferably sign language is what they develop most in but, it not as easy as developing their motor skills. Charlie is able to communicate fluently with the use of sign language but, he cannot communicate normally with other family members or any other person. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) They are not able to grasp certain objects as normal kids or person. In short, how an autism patient socializes with other people may develop slowly as compared to the level of other normal persons. It is also noted that their ability to learn can be termed as unpredictable. Unlike the normal kids, they can be able to learn faster especially long words only to forget after a short while. They might embark on doing something the hard way only to realize there is an easier way of doing it. They are also obsessive with the things they own. For instance, we see that Charlie adores his monkey hat so much. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) In most cases they may not show their feelings in open but, that shouldn’t be perceived that they do not have feelings but, truth of the matter is that they do have feelings too. Some people have come up with conspiracies that they do not have a feeling which is an utmost lie. They are not able to express their feelings in a normal way sometimes because of some of the factors we have mentioned in the research. Therefore people with such notions should be educated on how the autistic patients behave under normal circumstances. (National Autistic Society, UK 2012) Some of the controversies denoted in the articles are the myths about autism. The myth states that autism patients don’t have feelings. This is not true at all, since they also feel loved and just because they do not express their feelings the same way normal human beings do, that they do not have feelings. They all feel loved and this perception is just as a result of ignorance from people who have not spent time with them. Some of the limitations experienced in the literature are like when the child develops some behavioural changes during adolescence. Some become depressed and they may need to provide advanced treatment as the patient progresses to adulthood. There is no difference in what is found in the articles and the study case. We see that Charlie needs care and love as the articles suggests, and we see by the aid he gets from his family and Jackie he feels loved and gets along well with other people The cure to autism and the recovery period for an autism patient seems unknown at the moment and that as offered an extensive filed of research for doctors to study and research on it .Autism can be placed under medication and controlled. In the early stages the set treatment program should be intensive and structures should be good to help coordinate the activities of an autism patient. The treatment should be set on the interests and likes of what the autism patient likes to do. Such things will help not forgetting the use of visual aids which in most cases are considered of much help. (A.D.A.M., Inc.2012) A particular program should be set up by specialists for an individual child. The kind of therapies that should be administered to the autistic child should include; Medication. Physical and occupational therapy, Special and sign Language therapy and the most important applied behavior analysis (ABA). In common cases vision therapy and sensory options are always integrated but very little research as shown its effectiveness is not well supported. (A.D.A.M., Inc. 2012) Conclusion Autism patients are human beings just like us and that they deserve special care and treatment just like any other person. It should be noted that they do have feelings too and that they should always be supported and looked after since, they have they urge and ability to learn even if it’s at a slower pace. We should be supportive and not leave them to leave in isolation since they can develop some feelings which can be negative hence deteriorating their health the more. The developmental changes in life can be triggered through variables such as stress which can make people to grow positively on how to handle matters such as disability. As we see the case of Thomas and Jackie through stress and wanting to learn about how to interact with Charlie, they develop positively in their behaviors. References Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders 2007, Overview to the Prevalence Report on Autism, Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA), Australia. Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2011, Risk assessment in child protection, 29 April 2011, http://www.aifs.gov.au Dekker, G & Sibai, B 2001, ‘Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of pre-eclampsia’, The Lancet, vol.357, 20 January, pp.209-215 Dover CJ, Le Couteur A. How to diagnose autism. Arch Dis Child. 2007; 92:540-545. Dubeski N, 2001, ‘Durkheim's Altruism as the Source of His Social Holism: A Discussion of the Viability of a Social Basis for Moral Principles’, Sociological Organization, viewed 3 May 2011, http://www.sociology.org/content/vol005.003/dubeski.html(website) Foust, RC & Booker, K 2007, “ The social cognition of gifted adolescents’, Roeper Review, vol. 29, no. 5, viewed 6 May 2011, (online  Expanded Academic ASAP). Gray, D 2006, ‘Coping over time: the parents of children with autism’, Journal of intellectual Disability Research, volume 50, part 12, December, pp 970-976. Harris, P Nagy, S & Vardaxis, N 2010, Mosby’s Dictionary of medicine, nursing & health professionals, 2nd edn, Elsevier Australia, Chatswood, NSW. Helen, R 2002, ‘Pregnant women who work run greater risk of pre-eclampsia’, The Times London, 18 April, p.6 Horn, A, Pössel, P, & Hautzinger, M 2010, ‘Promoting Adaptive Emotion Regulation and Coping in Adolescence: A School-based Programme’, Journal of Health Psychology, vol.16, no.2, Hunter,A & Chandler, G 1999,’’Adolescent resilience’’ Journal of nursing scholarship, vol. 31, n0. 3, pp 243-247 Kesebir, S, Graham, J & Oishi, S 2010, ‘A theory of human needs should be human-centered, not animal centered’, Perspectives on psychological science, vol. 5, no, 3, viewed 5 May 2011. Koenigsberg MR, Bartlett D & Cramer JS, 2009, ‘Facilitating treatment adherence with lifestyle changes in diabetes’, American Family Physician, Vol.69, No.2, pp.309-316, viewed 3 May 2011, (MS Consult Australia). Mounts, N, S 2002, parental management of adolescent peer relationship in context: The role of parenting style, Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 58-59 Newman, MB & Newman, RP 2003, Development through life, 8th edn, Thomason Wadsworth, New York, U.S.A Read More