|
It has been
claimed the child is autistic.
Ken Kraska writes:
The Wild Child is
based on a remarkable journal, the 1806 memoirs
of a French physician, a certain Jean Itard. The record begins in
1798, when a child is found living in the forest like an animal.
Dr. Itard sets for himself the task of educating this child who is
totally alien to civilization. Shot in austere black and white, the
film achieves a depth of vision treating anew love, freedom, the
nature of childhood and childhood's end.
Clearly the child as portrayed in the film and from what I can glean
from
the historical accounts would be considered to be autistic today.
Autism and
related disorders in the pervasive developmental disabilities
spectrum would
be considered to be biological in nature. More than likely "Victor"
was
abandoned by his parents because of the extreme behavior problems
that can
often occur. Here are some common symptoms as presented by the
Autism
Society of America:
Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals,
has a
unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some
individuals
mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and
greater
challenges with social interactions. The person may have difficulty
initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Communication is often
described as talking at others (for example, monologue on a favorite
subject
that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).
People with autism process and respond to information in unique
ways. In
some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be
present.
Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits.
Take a look at the film if you haven't viewed it in a while and see
what you
think. Nearly all of the above are demonstrated by "Victor" - whose
autistic
condition would be considered severe. I have been working with
autisic
children who exhibit these behaviors for some 30 years. One caution
- severe
abuse combined with extreme social deprivation and lack of human
contact
could also cause similar behavior. My gut feeling, however, remains
that
"Victor" would be diagnosed as autistic today.
With thanks to:
Ken Kraska DPM
Senior Health Information Specialist
Constella Health Group
kkraska@constellagroup.com |
