Documentaries
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The Reason I JumpDocumentary · 2020
Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this film follows non-speaking autistic young people in India, the UK, the USA and Sierra Leone, including Amrit from Noida. It invites you to experience the world through their senses. It won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance.
Where to watch: Disney+ in many countries and Netflix in the USA. Check streaming in your country
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Life, AnimatedDocumentary · 2016
Owen Suskind stopped speaking at the age of three. His family found a way back into conversation through his love of Disney animated films. The film was nominated for an Academy Award.
Where to watch: Rent or buy on major digital stores. Check streaming in your country
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DeejDocumentary · 2017
DJ Savarese, a non-speaking autistic young man, types to communicate through a voice synthesiser. Made with DJ as a co-creator, the film follows him from high school into college and his work as an advocate.
Where to watch: Free with many library cards on Kanopy. Check streaming in your country
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Crip Camp: A Disability RevolutionDocumentary · 2020
A summer camp for disabled teenagers in the 1970s helped spark the American disability rights movement. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground, it was nominated for an Academy Award.
Where to watch: Netflix, and free in full on Netflix's YouTube channel. Check streaming in your country
Families growing together
These documentaries follow parents, siblings and families through the long journey of love and care.
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Mimi and DonaDocumentary · 2015
Mimi, aged 92, has cared for her daughter Dona, who has an intellectual disability, for more than six decades in their home in Dallas, Texas. Filmed by Dona's niece, it is a tender, honest story about a mother's lifelong love and the question every family eventually faces: what happens next?
Where to watch: Shown on PBS Independent Lens. Check streaming in your country
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Best BoyDocumentary · 1979
Filmmaker Ira Wohl follows his cousin Philly, a 52-year-old man with an intellectual disability, as his ageing parents help him take his first steps towards a more independent life. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. A follow-up, Best Man, revisited Philly twenty years later.
Where to watch: Rent, buy or stream on selected services. Check streaming in your country
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Far From the TreeDocumentary · 2018
Based on Andrew Solomon's book, this film follows families whose children are very different from their parents, including a non-speaking autistic young man and a man with Down syndrome. It is a moving portrait of parents learning to love their children for exactly who they are.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and other digital stores. Check streaming in your country
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Intelligent LivesDocumentary · 2018
Filmmaker Dan Habib follows three young adults with intellectual disabilities, Micah, Naieer and Naomie, through high school, college and work. The film challenges old ideas about intelligence and shows what becomes possible when people are given real opportunities.
Where to watch: Community and school screenings, and selected services. Check streaming in your country
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Autism: The MusicalDocumentary · 2007
Autistic children and their families spend months creating and performing their own musical with The Miracle Project, a theatre programme in Los Angeles. It is full of joy, and it won two Emmy Awards.
Where to watch: Made for HBO. Check streaming in your country
Series
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Love on the SpectrumSeries · 2019 onwards
Autistic adults explore dating and relationships, shown with warmth and humour. There is an Australian original and an American version.
Where to watch: Netflix. Check streaming in your country
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Inside Our Autistic MindsSeries · 2023
Naturalist Chris Packham, who is autistic, helps autistic people, including a non-speaking man, share how they experience the world through short films.
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer in the UK and BBC Select in the USA and Canada. Check streaming in your country
A film and a talk
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Temple GrandinFilm · 2010
Claire Danes plays Temple Grandin, the autistic scientist who changed how livestock are handled around the world. Her mother's belief in her is at the heart of the story. The film won seven Emmy Awards.
Where to watch: Made for HBO, so it is usually on Max. Check streaming in your country
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The world needs all kinds of mindsTalk · 20 min
Temple Grandin explains how her mind works in pictures, and why autistic thinkers have so much to offer.
Where to watch: Free on TED.com and YouTube. Check streaming in your country
From India
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Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth)Hindi film · 2007
Directed by Aamir Khan, this film follows eight-year-old Ishaan, whose struggles at school turn out to be dyslexia. A caring art teacher sees his gifts. It is not about autism, but it speaks to every family whose child learns differently. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film.
Where to watch: Check streaming services in your country. Check streaming in your country
A note on where to watch: streaming services change their films often, and what is available differs from country to country. The "Check streaming in your country" links open JustWatch, a free guide that shows where each title is showing; you can change the country at the top of its page. We checked these details in October 2026.