Documentary on Autism Stuns Internet Viewers

[Guest guest]

Hi People,

This is the article to appear in Tuesday's SAR on the Autism Every Day

documentary. It quotes members on this list anonymously for privacy

concerns, except for two " public figure " list members and list members

who are also a part of the film.

-Lenny

Documentary Film on Autism Stuns Internet Viewers

" Autism Every Day " produced for Autism Speaks.

From the Autism Speaks Website:

Autism Every Day is a new film produced by

Thierry and Jim Watkins of October Group and

of Milestone Video. The film was screened at

A New Decade for Autism, http://tinyurl.com/j7qsm , a

fundraising event held May 9, 2006 in New York City, and

subsequently broadcast by Don Imus on his show on MSNBC.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php

Just after the documentary " Autism Every Day " aired on the Don

Imus show, early Wednesday, May 10, around 7 am eastern, stunned

reactions from media tracking autism parents began to appear on

support discussion lists on the internet. First reaction came from

Bobbie Manning from A-CHAMP, who alerted the other EOHarm list members

simply saying, " The best PSA I have ever seen. Amazing!! "

Then D., another list member added " I've just finished crying.

I might jump on the Autism Speaks bandwagon. . . " Now this was

getting interesting!

Another parent, an activist added, " To feel the impact of this

is unlike any other segment I have seen. . . so many examples in such

a short time. . .so much was covered - behaviors, finances, dreams

lost, worries of the future...and all from the parents and children

living it, not from reporters. . .Is there a way we can get a copy of

this to present to legislators, educators, therapists, etc? " . . .it

is a mirror reflecting our lives. "

" I am a video guy and this is the best I have ever seen and the

only thing that shows what we as parents are going though, " added

parent J. who had the good fortune of seeing it that day, too.

From list member A.: " I was in a puddle of tears and had real

trouble getting myself together to get the kids off to school. I

think it's excessively hard for those of us to watch our lives in that

fashion but extremely necessary for the rest of the population to see.

.. . Shock and awe may take on a new meaning. " Warning other parents

who had not yet seen it, she said in a later post, " You will probably

break down crying hysterically. I was not expecting this reaction or

I would not have watched it with my kids next to me. My girls came

running to hug their incapacitated mother. My ASD son somehow

realizing it was about him came to watch a small clip. Prepare

yourself. "

By now the list was abuzz with questions, " when will it air

again? " , " will they put it on a website? "

Bits and pieces about the project started reaching the list.

, the daughter of Autism Speaks Co-founder Bob , was

in the film (and it turns out, a lurking member of that list).

Another list member, Michele Iallonardi, announced that her family

too, was a part of the film. Autism Every Day was striking even

closer to home than the members had imagined.

Not until Sunday did a parent announce that the documentary was

on the Autism Speaks website.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php

Positive reactions, an understatement, continued to pour in.

" OMG! . . . This is heart wrenching! I cried my eyes out. I have

forwarded this to everyone in my e-mailbox. WOW " , said R.

" Unbelievable. Someone has captured autism in 13 minutes.

Someone has shown what autism is all about. I am so grateful. I am so

thankful, " remarked Ackerman of TACA, " This is the best mothers

day gift to me ever. . . "

Note: The SAR invites readers to send in their comments after

viewing the film. -LS edit@...