Depending on who you talk to, mention the term “autism” and different things come to people’s minds. People like Temple Grandin or Elon Musk. Film and TV characters like Julia on Sesame Street or Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. For years, however, people thought about Dustin Hoffman’s character Raymond from the 1988 movie Rain Man.
Raymond is depicted in the movie as being on the autism spectrum, lives in a mental institution, and has very strict routines. Maple syrup has to be on the table before the pancakes, and he absolutely must watch Jeopardy! at 5. He also has some unique savant abilities, such as being able to do complex calculations in his head and recall specific details in the past.
Although the character in the movie is on the spectrum, he is actually inspired by Kim Peek, who was neurodiverse, but had a different condition. Instead, he had what was believed to be FG Syndrome, a genetic condition that resulted in a very abnormal brain structure, notably absence of the corpus callosum, the large bundle of nerve fibers that joins the two hemispheres of a “normal” brain. The condition is also associated with some physical deformities, especially relating to the GI tract. As with other types of neurodiversity, his brain formed neural connections differently from most people, resulting in a brain that had unique abilities and an excellent memory. He could speed read by scanning the left page with his left eye and the right page with his right eye and could recall precise details. He could also perform calendar calculations and tell people the day they were born given a date.
The movie’s producers did, however, draw inspiration from others as well, so Raymond was likely a mix of autism and Peek’s personality – there are definitely aspects of the character that draw from autism, and there are some aspects of FG Syndrome that also appear in autism.
While most people on the autism spectrum do not have savant abilities, they often have excellent memory and can remember precise details. Peek also had macrocephaly (larger than a normal head size) and that is commonly associated with some genes that can contribute to autism. It also makes shopping for hats a little more challenging – I personally recall an experience at the bike shop as a kid when we were shopping for helmets – my brothers needed to have extra foam pads in their helmets for a better fit, however I did not.
Raymond’s strict routines, such as watching certain television programs at a specific time, and only wearing underwear bought from Kmart are likely drawn from the producer’s work with people who were actually on the autism spectrum. The need for routines is more commonly associated with the autism spectrum than with FG syndrome.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a very shiny train to catch…and by the way, K-mart sucks.