France Still in Dark Ages About Autism

Of the many myths about autism, the belief that it is a mental illness has been soundly discredited in the U.S. but it persists in other countries and most of all in France. A year ago, “Le Mur” (“The Wall”), a documentary about two autistic boys more than ruffled a few feathers in France’s well-established community of psychoanalysts. Filmmaker Sophie Robert showed how one autistic boy, Guillaume, was treated with the “American” approach of behavioral teaching and fared far better than another, Julien, who underwent analysis while living in an asylum for six years. Three French psychoanalysts interviewed for the film sued Robert for misrepresenting them and their profession.