Has anyone been called Rain Man before like me?

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I used to be called Rain Man often during school and growing up and in workplace situations. Actually many people I know have called me that at least once because I'm an Aspie.

For many of you younger folk Rain Man is a movie in 1988 starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise where Hoffman played an Autistic man on the Savant level... so quite extreme in his memory recitation and math cognition. More so than myself.

Ever since that movie in 1988 (I was born in 1975) I've been called Rain Man dozens of times throughout my life because I tend to convey a great deal of information in perfect order because I can imagine all the words in front of me just like Hoffman did in Rain Man. But not quite that extreme.

God that name makes me feel like a robot, like I'm a person that doesn't have thoughts and feelings and emotions just like everyone else. It's quite dehumanizing and usually causes me to stim aggressively. I usually end up crying about it later on.

Anyone else get this insulting moniker too?

I never have, probably because I'm only mild and can mask my Aspie-ness. I've never seen the movie before, maybe I should watch it.

Never mask! Hiding will only cause you stress! Aspies like us are at our most relaxed when we are in our natural states and expressing ourselves in the ways that we feel most comfortable. Even I have difficulty with this one and I'm a hair's breath away from buying a medic-alert bracelet that says "Autistic", like my doctors and therapists keep telling me to do, and showing it to BOTH my bosses! Whew. That's gonna take some nerve.

I was called Rain Man quite a few times in high school. I was timid and shy and scared of my peers and kids that were older and bigger, due to the fact that I was called the R-word so many times and some low-life kids picked on me about the special interests that I had in grade 8. I hated it. I grew my hair and dressed like a hippie, so that those kids wouldn't recognize me and it worked.

No, I was never called that name. I don't think I am anything like that character.

Worse. Rain-boy.

Wow. Who called you that?

I’ve been called Rain Man and I’m not even a guy. Certain parts of that movie I relate to though.

Ugh... Damn.

I've been called Forrest Gump...

All the usual insults among commoners. But, I was called a "walking, breathing encyclopedia" by those who recognized what they saw. My family still treats me like a walking, breathing Siri; a one-trick pony.

Last edited by AspieUtah on 13 Oct 2017, 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

^^ I've only been called a "walking" encyclopedia. None of the other descriptors. You got me beat

The opposite: one person said to me "But you're NOT like Rainman" -- when I first told him I was being evaluated for Asperger's/autism spectrum disorder.

There's an opposite problem caused by most of the general public -- at least those who have seen the film -- believing now that anyone with autism will be just like the guy in the movie.

There are lots of people on the spectrum who are not like that character, so we get told we "can't be" autistic because we're don't remind them of Rain Man, lol.

I have been really interested in Kim Peek's life lately. The things his providers would say about him and his "future" were borderline disgusting. Always believing that Kim lived about a mile south of me, I just learned that he and his father lived about five blocks from me (and even three blocks when I was in college). I saw them frequently in the vicinity, but I was never able to say "hello" to them. I worked with world leaders and Hollywood celebrities, but Kim fascinated and intimidated me. In a weird way, I believe that is some high praise.

^^^ Perhaps because Kim's father had sort of a scowl, and probably was vigilant in preventing Kim from being exploited. You wouldn't have been one of the "exploiters"---but parents of disabled people tend to adopt this vigilant attitude towards strangers.

Maybe this could account for the intimidation?

Hmm. I never saw that side of Fran. They always seemed to be quite pleasant and enjoying their lives.