A New Movie Puts Asperger Syndrome in a Positive Light… But sometimes life doesn’t have a Hollywood ending

Fox Searchlight has recently acquired the rights to a new film, ADAM, that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January. This is big news since it’s not the typical love story you’d find on the Hollywood scene. The story highlights the relationship between two young, single New Yorkers who live in the same apartment building. Adam is an electrical engineer and Beth is an elementary school teacher and aspiring writer. What makes this story so unique is that Adam suffers from Asperger Syndrome.

Although I haven’t seen it yet, it appears that ADAM is a heartwarming story of a young man struggling to live a normal life with AS. Apparently the movie producers worked hard to portray AS accurately and they never put the developmental disorder in a negative or disrespectful light. Jonathan Kaufman, founder of Disabilityworks, Inc. worked with the director of ADAM, to help maintain a realistic feel to the movie. Kaufman stated, “In a world where the number of kids diagnosed with autism is 1 in 150, this type of film will provide real insight into the life of someone with high functioning autism,” and he hopes, “provide real hope for millions of families.”

I agree that this is an important subject for a movie. However, I would hate to see it provide false hope for people who want their life to mirror this happy ending. Having an intimate relationship with someone with Asperger Syndrome is challenging and often times heart breaking. Movies are great for entertainment, but for real hope you need to look inside yourself. That’s what my new book, Life with a Partner or Spouse with Asperger Syndrome: Going over the Edge?, will encourage people to do.