Ruth C. Sullivan family member with developmental disabilities. She retired from the Autism Services Center on November 1, 2007 at the age of 83. Sullivan assisted in the production of the 1988 movie "Rain Man" by serving as a consultant on autistic behavior, and Dustin Hoffman worked with Sullivan and her son Joseph, who has autism, when practicing for his role. Hoffman thanked her and Joseph in his Oscar speech. Sullivan has the last credit in the movie, and the extended DVD version features an interview with Joe. (Joe Sullivan was not the only inspiration for Hoffman's role; the role was originally written
Autism Is a World such as Gina Green of San Diego State University have criticised the film for its positive portrayal of facilitated communication. Green stated that making a film without "even a hint, much less a disclosure" of the evidence against facilitated communication "is appalling". Autism Is a World Autism Is a World is an American short subject documentary film allegedly written by Sue Rubin in 2004, an autistic woman who is purported to have learned to communicate via the discredited technique of facilitated communication, which scientists widely agree only appears effective due to the facilitator unconsciously guiding the hands of people with