Autism has takn Hollywood by storm. “How did autism, one cause among many, gain such high new visibility? April is National Autism Awareness month, which merely explains the scheduling, not the sheer volume of projects about the subject. That proliferation is due to a mixture of celebrity clout, a huge increase in diagnoses, and the nature of the disorder itself. A condition that thwarts the ability to communicate and express emotions, autism seems ready-made for symbolic use.”