The Boy Inside

Directed and produced by Marianne Kaplan
MSK Productions
47 minutes • 2006
Closed captioned
Also available on DVD

Filmmaker Marianne Kaplan tells the personal and often harrowing story of her son Adam, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. His condition—an increasingly common form of high-functioning autism characterized by emotionally inappropriate behavior and an inability to interact successfully with others—makes grade seven a minefield. As Adam struggles to survive, Marianne documents her family's tumultuous daily life.

School is a nightmare for Adam, a place where he finds himself isolated and bullied. His parents coach him on how to avoid confrontation. His teachers take extra steps to help other kids understand him. But despite this, his troubles escalate, first at school and then at home. Adam himself is always painfully aware of his separateness.

To learn more about dealing with the challenges of Aspergers, Marianne and Adam attend a Chicago conference, where they connect with other kids with Aspergers and their parents. Marianne also meets with Dr. Temple Grandin, a renowned animal scientist and author, herself autistic. To round out the picture, a cross-section of Adam's schoolmates honestly share their difficulties in relating to him. Throughout, Adam offers his own profound and astute observations on living with Aspergers.

"As a grade seven teacher, with a child with Asperger's in my class, I feel that The Boy Inside is a valuable tool…It dramatically shows the impact of exclusion on not only a child who is on the Autism Spectrum, but on any child…and can go a long way toward helping the other students understand him."