Sensory films bring autistic kids, families to the movie theatre
For most people, their first introduction to autism, Asperger syndrome, or savantism came through a movie such as 1988′s Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. However, families who deal with autism on a regular basis, know that the plots and characters portrayed in these movies aren’t always the truth.
As more facts come to light, the portrayal of autism in film will definitely change, like with the films Autistic Like Graham’s Story and Autism: The Musical. Another good film comes from the PBS program POV entitled Refrigerator Mothers, which you can watch here. The film documents how mothers in the 50s and 60s were blamed for “making” their children autistic by being “frigid” or not loving enough towards the child during infancy. But for now, the major thing in autism film is something called “autism sensory films.”
The Autism Society of America (ASA) has joined in with the theater company AMC Theatres to present autism sensory films in theaters across the nation. Because of the nature of autism, it can be uncomfortable for parents, friends, and other family to watch a movie with an austici child, who may be extremely sensitive to parts of the movie.
The ASA created the idea as a way for those affected by autism to “to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment.” The AMC Theatre group says “The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing.” This environment is more accepting and condusive to children with autism, giving them the viewing experience they want without the worry of disturbing other theatregoers.
The films shown are mainly children’s films, such as the upcoming Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, as well as Planet 51 and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Unfortunately, there are no AMC theatres in the state of Tennessee in which to show the film, but with parental advocacy and the help of local autism groups, it wouldn’t be hard to create an austim-friendly enviromnet somewhere in Middle Tennessee. Here is the list of theatres where the films are provided.
What Tennessee does have in the way of helping autistic sensory skills is the Open Door’s Social Skills Camp held in Welsey Woods in Townsend, Tennessee. This camp in East Tennessee has gotten tons of press for helping autistic children and provides links to great autism resources for parents in Tennessee. Another good camp in Michigan is the Joey Travolta Entertainment Experience, a two week long camp for older autistic children that teaches them how to make movies of their own. San Francisco has even started an annual Autism Film Festival. Movies are even being used to help detect autism in children and for research purposes to help discover what makes autism tick.
Also of interest is the site WrongPlanet.com, a online austism community that serves as a media watchdog for autism as well as provides information, advice, and support for those who are affected by it. The site even has its own feed of the best movies about austim as voted on by those who have it. And until Tennessee gets sensory films of its own, here is a list of good movies for autistic children.