Documentary released today on Autism, Loving Lampposts

[Guest guest]

I was privileged to see a screener of a new documentary and after

viewing it I would like to recommend it to other parents.

“Loving Lampposts; Living Autistic” shines light on dark fears about Autism

A documentary film by Todd Drezner available on dvd.

Cinema Libre Studio

$19.95

83 minutes

UPC 881394111721

Genre: Documentary, Autism

This interesting documentary introduces the journey parents go through

when their child is diagnosed with autism, and also through interviews

with various experts, parents, and adults with autism builds a picture

of various ways of looking at autism. It presents the view of autism

being a medical diagnosis, a psychiatric diagnosis, and a different

way of being.

The film opens with Sam, his love of lampposts, and his diagnosis of

autism. Sam’s father narrates his journey through exploring and

trying to understand and deal with autism. Clips featuring some of

autism’s leading theories and treatments range from hyperbaric

chambers and special diets to floor time, and even accepting autism as

a neural difference that is not necessarily bad. Some of the

participants in the film include: Nadine Antonelli, a doctor and

mother of a child with autism, and Noah, her son; Simon Baron-Cohen,

the director of The Autism Research Centre at Cambride university;

Dora Raymaker, an adult with autism who communicates using a computer

with text to speech software. This is but a small sampling of the

large number of impressive participants in this excellent documentary.

I liked the inclusion of parents and experts with varying views. Most

interesting and informative were the interviews with adults who are on

the spectrum and the information on how they live their lives.

I enjoyed the interviews with the adults who have autism and how they

see their gifts and struggles.

From this story I felt renewed hope that others will understand my

son, who is on the spectrum, and that he will build life for himself

in spite of the challenges that he will face.

This documentary is appealing to parents of children with autism,

teens with autism, and others who are working with a person or people

who are on the autism spectrum. With the inclusion of material

‘debunking’ the immunization connection, parents who feel strongly

about that connection may have a hard time with this film.

The film is unrated but does not appear to contain any material

unsuitable for teens.

Rated ***** out *****.

Reviewed by Kathy who is an independent film and book critic,

active on the local Community Advisory Committee on Special Education

and working with pre-teens and teens at a Youth Center. Kathy has a

son on the spectrum, a daughter and two brothers who show every sign

of being on the spectrum but were never officially diagnosed.