Autism Is a World
Encyclopedia
Autism Is a World is a short subject documentary film
written by Sue Rubin, a woman with autism who learned to communicate via facilitated communication
, produced and directed by Gerardine Wurzburg and co-produced by the CNN
cable network. It was nominated in the 77th annual
Academy Awards
for Best Documentary Short Subject
. Wurzburg previously won an Academy Award in 1992 for the film "Educating Peter
."
The subject of this film is Sue Rubin, a woman with autism
who was considered mentally retarded
as a child. At the age of thirteen, she learned to express herself through a computer keyboard, otherwise known as facilitated communication
, revealing that she was in fact highly intelligent. She went on to study history
, specializing in Latin American History
at Whittier College
and to write speeches about her life with autism. Director Wurzburg has called Rubin "the Helen Keller
of her generation". Rubin's dialogue is narrated by actress Julianna Margulies
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
written by Sue Rubin, a woman with autism who learned to communicate via facilitated communication
Facilitated communication
Facilitated communication is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of a communicatively impaired individual while using a keyboard or other devices with the aim of helping the individual to develop pointing skills and to communicate...
, produced and directed by Gerardine Wurzburg and co-produced by the CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
cable network. It was nominated in the 77th annual
77th Academy Awards
The 77th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2004 and were held on February 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by comedian Chris Rock.The nominees were announced on January 25, 2005...
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Documentary Short Subject
Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
This is a list of films by year that have received an Oscar together with the other nominations for best documentary short subject. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announced and presented early in the following year.-1940s:*1941...
. Wurzburg previously won an Academy Award in 1992 for the film "Educating Peter
Educating Peter
Educating Peter is a 1992 short documentary film directed by Gerardine Wurzburg about Peter Gwazdauskas, a special needs student with Down's syndrome, and his inclusion in a standard third grade classroom in Blacksburg, Virginia. It won an Academy Award in 1993 for Documentary Short Subject....
."
The subject of this film is Sue Rubin, a woman with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
who was considered mentally retarded
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
as a child. At the age of thirteen, she learned to express herself through a computer keyboard, otherwise known as facilitated communication
Facilitated communication
Facilitated communication is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of a communicatively impaired individual while using a keyboard or other devices with the aim of helping the individual to develop pointing skills and to communicate...
, revealing that she was in fact highly intelligent. She went on to study history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, specializing in Latin American History
History of Latin America
Latin America refers to countries in the Americas where Romance languages are spoken. This definition, however, is not meant to include Canada, in spite of its large French-speaking population....
at Whittier College
Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
and to write speeches about her life with autism. Director Wurzburg has called Rubin "the Helen Keller
Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
of her generation". Rubin's dialogue is narrated by actress Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
.