PBS will be airing “Horse Boy” on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:00PM. (Check your local listing for the exact time in your time zone). This is a documentary following a family with an autistic son. I was sent an advance copy to review. Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff talk frankly about their son Rowan and about their feelings, hopes, dreams, disappointments and guilt. They have tried traditional and non-traditional treatments for their son, in hopes of finding a cure for him.
This documentary follows them to Mongolia, in order to combine non-tradional healing (shaman healing) and horses. Rupert is a former horse trainer, and had kept his son away from horses, for fear of him getting hurt. One day, Rowan had gotten away and wandered into the neighbors yard. There, he came face to face with the neighbor’s old mare, Betsy. The two formed a connection. Upon seeing this, Rupert was amazed at how his son changed when around this old mare.
I enjoyed watching this documentary. Both parents expressed concerns and observations about their son, and I found that I was able to relate to a lot of what they were thinking and feeling. I had one problem with the movie, and that was the description of autism by Roy Richard Grinker, Ph.D. In his description of autism, he said that individuals with autism range from the, “Severely mentally retarded who is completely nonverbal, to somebody who is a socially awkward mathematics of physics professor.” My son is nonverbal, and he is extremely intelligent. I hope that people that watch this movie will not assume that all nonverbal, autistic children are mentally challenged.
The progress that Rowan made during and after the trip to Mongolia was amazing. I don’t think it was the Shaman’s that caused the changes that occurred. I have noticed that my son makes leaps in his developmental progress after we take trips with just the three of us (when our daughter is with my parents). I think it is because he gets both my husband and myself working with him 24/7. He has our full, undivided attention. Last year, after a weekend at the beach he went from not being potty trained, to 75% potty trained. Within the next week, he became fully potty trained. That’s huge.
I did enjoy watching this family. I think a long trip in Mongolia is a bit extreme, but the idea of getting away for a long period is great. If my family could do that, we would. Instead, we settle for camping trips on the weekend. My son loves them and he gets to learn new things and, most of all, mommy and daddy are focused on him and his sister. The television, computer and household chores are not taking our attention.
I highly recommend watching this documentary. It is an open and honest representation of raising an autistic child. I felt a connection with this family, as I was watching. I think it will help some people understand what we are going through.
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