How the Movie ‘Out of My Mind’ Brings the F-Words for Child Development to Life

This short communication illustrates how the 2024 movie Out of My Mind, starring a protagonist (Melody) with cerebral palsy, embodies the ‘F-words’ for child development—the paediatric adaptation of the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF). The ‘F-words’ provide a strengths-based and holistic framework to view childhood development, disability and functioning that can benefit service providers, researchers and families alike. If we want the world to adopt the values of the ‘F-words’, we must bring these values to the world by applying them outside of academia. This short communication outlines how Out of My Mind illustrates and exemplifies each ‘F-words’ domain, as well as the interconnectedness with other domains, from the perspective of a speech-language pathologist and PhD student in Rehabilitation Science. Key reflections include the impact of social, attitudinal and physical environments on the protagonist's participation and how Fun and Functioning are shown in the movie's first-person perspective. This short communication also highlights the impact of attitudinal, physical and system-level barriers on participation and can inspire us all to change the way we think to shape the society we aspire towards.