Critiques

Option 1: Checklist for Characterization

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List the main characteristics of the service category	Characteristics portrayed
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.	1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

1. Using the table above as a guide, write out a list of characteristics. For instance, if you choose to watch Rain Man, you are examining autism. So, first list the general characteristics of a youngster diagnosed with autism.

2. Next make a list of the characteristics of the main character who portrays the service category in the movie. For instance, if you choose to watch Rain Man, you are examining how Raymond portrays autism.

3. Write a one minute comparison of the differences between the list of characteristics that are generally recognized as part of the things a person might do who needs services and the way the character portrayed the special needs. If you choose to watch Rain Man, you are examining the classic or general characteristics of autism and the way Raymond portrayed them.

Option Two: Social, Cultural, and Economic Honesty

1. Write a brief essay on the social, cultural and economic honesty of the book or movie. Use the following instructions to guide your writing.

• Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the main character portrayed in the book / movie.
  


• Provide a social context for the story and compare it with your own belief about schools or families.



• Were there any cultural issues addressed? If so, what were the pros and cons?

Example: In My Left Foot, the era and culture had a great bearing on how the Brown family was expected to cope with a youngster with cerebral palsy. This varies greatly from the reception of Steven Hawkings, born nearly a century later. These represent both cultural and social issues.

Example: In the Helen Keller story, the family is well to do and can afford to hire someone to care for Helen. How would the story be different if the family had a marginal income?

Option 3: Historic Perspective

Title Main Character - Date Movie or Book Category YES NO

Then Pros Cons Now Pros Cons

Provide the following information about the movie or book:

Title
Movie or Book?
Main Character
Category Date

Option Four Checklist for Need Fulfillment

To complete this assignment successfully, you should:

1. Provide the following information about the movie or book:
   Title
   Movie or Book?
   Main Character
   Category
   Date
2. Check Yes or No to guide your analysis of the book or movie.

Title: Main Character: Date: Movie or Book: Category:

Physiological needs met Food Yes No Shelter Yes No General health Yes No Reasonable and consistent limits Yes No

Safety needs met Home Yes No Parents Yes No Siblings Yes No School Yes No Teachers Yes No Peers Yes No

Belonging Affection shown Yes No Promises made are kept Yes No Someone listens Yes No Child has own possessions Yes No Child has personal space Yes No Child is loved unconditionally Yes No

Esteem Needs Child is given opportunities to give to others, do for others Yes No Child has open ended opportunities to make choices Yes No Child's strengths are the focus of most attention Yes No Child's weaknesses lead to adaptations and face saving Yes No Unmet needs do not go unnoticed or denied Yes No Focus is on developmentally appropriate rather than remedial activities Yes No

 

Option 5: Philosophy

1. Philosophy about Serving Students with Special Needs / Categories

Write a brief essay (250 - 500 words) addressing some of the following issues in special services. Remember that you will only be able to address a few of the most salient points presented in the material.

• What is the current explanation for the need for services to youth with disabilities?
• How does the story or movie portray the student?
  

  Does it look at the individual
  Does it address strengths or weaknesses
  Is the story about victimization or heroism
  How much of the story is realism and how much is glitz, glory, or groans?

• Who or what is responsible for the person having disabilities? Nature, parents, environment?
• How does the story represent the family? Helpless, angry, victimized, grieving, coping, loving, sensitive, anxious, alone?
• How are the career and life expectations represented for the student?
• Is inclusion a viable school setting for students?
• What is the role of the teacher?
• What role do parents play in providing educational services?
• How does the community respond?

Option 6: Sensitivity Rating

Off and on through the centuries, we have decided that parents are to blame for children with disabilities. For some reasons we love to play "Wheel of misfortune." In the past we blamed parents by saying that they sinned, so the children showed the evil in the parents. Once in a while we blame society. "It's the electricity outside the house." "It's in the drinking water." But mostly, we bust the chops of the family. I remember reading a story about an autistic child and the parents were told that they caused the problem by having a bare bulb over the child's crib.

Write a one minute essay addressing the following:

• How sensitive was your story?
• How honest was the portrayal
• Who was the recipient of the sensitivity?
• Did the story play "Wheel of Misfortune?"
• Who got the worst press?

Addresses for Movie and Book Lists

Autism	Link to Index	Traumatic Brain Injury
Communications	Learning Disabilities	Visual Impairment
Emotional and Behavioral	Development Delayed and MR	Gifted
Hearing Loss	Physical Disabilities	Health Problems

 

Autism *Rainman *Son-rise (B) *Out of Silence (B) *Emergence (B) *Without Reason (B)	Health Problems *Lorenzo's Oil *My Left Foot *Death be not Proud *The Boy in the Plastic Bubble *The Secret Garden *Heidi *Steel Magnolias *The Elephant Man *Lad, a dog *Of human bondage	Traumatic Brain Injury *Awakenings *Mask *The diving bell and the butterfly (B) *The shattered mind (B)
Communications *Nell *Johnny Belinda *Long Journey Back *World according to Garp *A Fish called Wanda *Life is but a Dream *Primal Fear *The pain of shyness (20/20)* This side is god	Learning Disabilities *Manchild in the promised land (B) *Sling Blade *What's eating Gilbert Grape *F.A.T. City (video) *The Heart is a Lonely Hunter *Nell *Nunzio *American Gothic	Visual Impairment *Patch of Blue *The Miracle Worker *Wait until Dark * King Lear *Wild hearts can't be broken *Cactus Flower
Emotional and Behavioral *The Bell Jar *Lizzie *I Never Promised you a Rose Garden *David and Lisa *Psycho *Prince of Tides *The Snake Pit *Sybil *Silence of the Lambs *Clockwork Orange *Sound and Fury	Developmentally Delayed and MR *PS, You're not Listening (B) *Broken Cord *The Summer of the Swans (B) *The child who never grew (B) *The Wild Boy of Aveyron (B) *Of Mice and Men *Flowers for Algernon *Tim *Welcome Home Jellybean	Gifted *Little Man Tate *Powder *Good Will Hunting *Goonies *National Velvet *Little Miss Marker *Amadeus *Searching for Bobby Fischer *Paper Moon *Weird Science
Hearing Loss *Looking for Mr. Goodbar *Amy *Beethoven, Days in a Life *The Miracle Worker *Johnny Belinda *Deliverance *Mr. Holland's Opus *Children of a lesser God	Physical Disabilities *Born on the Fourth of July *Chariot Races *Whatever happened to Baby Jane * My Left Foot *Gattaca *The other side of the mountain