⚽ "Whether there is an adult who understands you nearby" - A psychiatrist's perspective on the film 'Weekend Rebels'

◼️ Because I face children with ASD spectrum every day

I examine many people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) every day.
Of course, there are many cases involving middle and high school students.
I watched this movie because I was curious about how they were depicted.

I ask parents to accompany their teenage children with ASD during consultations.
Cases where the father is flexible and quick to understand, like in the movie, are actually in the minority,
and in reality, parents often have ASD traits themselves,
which is why treatment and support are very often not straightforward.

◼️ This is not just a "parenting movie." This was a "person-with-the-condition movie"

The protagonist, a boy named Jason, has ASD traits.
Sensory sensitivities, difficulty with crowds, strong fixations, anxiety about unexpected changes—
as a doctor and as someone who interacts with children with ASD every day,
I felt that depictions of "this is actually something that happens often" were carefully incorporated.

However, what made this movie special was
the point that it tried to depict ASD not as a "problem," but as "personality just as it is."

◼️ We feel somewhat relieved by "children with special talents," but...

Jason has a special talent for physics.
That is likely why many people felt "hope" for his future.

However, in actual clinical practice,
children with ASD who have such "outstanding abilities" are only a small fraction.
Most children, without ever finding a standout talent,
face school and society while struggling with daily life.

Not "there is hope because there is talent," but
how to create a society where "even without talent, there is a place for that child"—
I think that perspective is what is truly important.

◼️ How much support the presence of a father as an "ally" provides

In the movie, the father changes little by little.
Even though he is confused and resistant at first,
the film depicts his efforts to understand Jason through their journey.

For a child with ASD,
the presence of an adult who says "it's okay to be yourself"
becomes a greater support than anything else.
The movie depicts this very sincerely.

◼️ As one entry point to deepening understanding of ASD

This work shows the traits and daily difficulties of ASD
in a natural way without over-dramatizing them.

Wanting to know about ASD, wanting family and friends to understand—
for those who wish for this, this movie will be a very good entry point.

Also, for people with ASD and their families,
I think it is a warm movie that makes you feel "I was understood."

◼️ A word as a psychiatrist

While watching this movie,
I wanted to convey to many people that "not all children have talents like Jason."
In clinical practice,

there are overwhelmingly more children who suffer from "other people's eyes," "walls at school," and "lack of parental understanding" than from a lack of talent.
Even so, just by having one ally,
children can change little by little.
How can we create a society that accepts ASD as a "personality"—

it was a movie that asked that question.

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