Pity can come from a person's greatest weakness. Although pity can help those who need help, it can also hinder the growth of the individual. Apathy can lead to ruin, but pity can harm those around you. A person cannot live fully from his pity. He must be able to fend for himself if he really wants to live. A Child is Waiting, released in 1963, tells the story of a young woman who accepts a teaching position in an institute for the mentally handicapped. There, she struggles to find the best method to help her students, both academically and emotionally. The film begins with Reuben Widdicombe's father dropping him off at Crawthorne State Mental Hospital, a boarding school for mentally disabled children. After Reuben is persuaded to leave the vehicle, his father quickly drives away, leaving Reuben in an extremely distraught state. Two years later, Dr. Matthew Clark, a psychologist and principal of the school, decided to take a chance and hire Jean Hansen, a Juilliard alumnus and concert pianist, as the school's music teacher. Miss Hansen, seeking to find purpose in her life, quickly bonds with Reuben and takes pity on the child because his parents, now divorced, have not visited him in two years. She, believing that this would improve Reuben's attitude, tricks Reuben's mother into coming to the institute, pretending that the child was sick. Hansen discovers that the parents are also emotionally disturbed and the mother, agreeing with Dr. Clark that it was best for Reuben not to see her, attempts to leave. However, Reuben sees his mother leaving and runs after her car. Reuben runs away later that night but is found the next morning. Miss Hansen finally understands Dr. Clark's philosophy. Hansen...... middle of paper ......aiting accurately represents autistic children. From atypical development to intellectual functioning, the film was very accurate about the information found in Exceptional Lives. But much of the accuracy is due to the fact that many of the children were actual residents of the institute in which the film took place. Most of the students were actual autistic children. The director of the film wanted to shed light on lateness, a subject often ignored or avoided in the society of his time. The film, through the philosophy of Dr. Clark, argued that if an autistic child were to be given the chance to learn to become self-reliant, pity and pampering could not be tolerated. Although Dr. Clark's methods were strict and somewhat controversial, he was eager to provide his students with the opportunity to live life to the fullest. "The brain is not the whole of a being, Mr. Widdecombe.”