Say hello to Allison Robertson — the stunning talent who played Justine in The Accountant 2. Tune in to our latest podcast for her heartfelt, personal experience with autism. In this podcast, you’ll also get to learn about the authentic portrayal of autism in The Accountant 2 from Allison herself.
Watch the podcast on the official Autism Today YouTube channel now.
Allison and Karen
This podcast is a labor of love created from lived experience and extensive knowledge. Allow me to introduce to you our guest, Allison Robertson, and our host, Karen Simmons.
Allison Robertson is an American actress who has starred in multiple shorts and TV series. Her most recent cinematic appearance was as Justine in The Accountant 2. Allison is also autistic, just like Justine in the movie.
Karen Simmons is an advocate for autism awareness. She founded Autism Today and has spent decades supporting ASD individuals. Her experience with autism lent her a critical eye for authentic portrayal of ASD in movies and media.
Nonverbal and verbal Autism
In The Accountant 2, Justine only speaks through a text-to-speech application. This alternative approach to communication is an affirming nod to a common observation of the autism community. According to a research conducted in 2018, about 25% to 30% of children with ASD are minimally verbal.
Being nonverbal, however, does not prevent Justine from expressing herself and working with those around her. The character of Justine is the perfect exemplar of how finding the right means of communication can work wonders for autistic individuals.
Being someone who’s on the spectrum, Allison is well-acquainted with this phenomenon. What we should understand, though, is that no two ASD individuals are nonverbal in the exact same way. In the podcast, Allison shares her experience on being selectively verbal and how that influenced her performance in the movie.
Autism in The Accountant 2
Cinematic portrayal of autism, just like that of any other minority community, is always tricky. There is a fine balance that movie producers must strike, right between faithful representation and dramatic progression. The Accountant 2, as a movie that unfolds around multiple autistic characters, faces the same challenge.
According to Allison though, the production team handled the situation exceptionally well. In the podcast, you’ll hear from Allison herself how the crew came together for a more accurate representation of autism.
Autism Resources
Do you want to be the hands that shelter autistic children? Do you want to be the voice that calls for inclusion? Knowledge is the precursor to change. One of the key missions of Autism Today is to provide the world with valuable autism resources.
This is why we created Exceptional Resources.
Life is hectic, but the world of autism is vast. Parents and educators of ASD individuals should not have to visit a hundred different sites to get what they need. On Exceptional Resources, you will find everything you need to take care of those with autism.
Check out Exceptional Resources today and help yourself to autism resources of premium quality.
