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‘Neurotypical’ Film About Autism Screened April 2 at App State Reich College of Education; No Charge

March 2, 2012. BOONE — Neurotypical (a film about autism from the perspectives of people with autism) will be screened Monday, April 2, from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. in the new Reich College of Education’s Gordon Gathering Hall in Room 124 at Appalachian State University.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS9QNAdNzRM[/youtube]

The College of Education is located at 151 College Street in Boone. Parking is available free of charge in any campus parking lot and in the First Baptist Church lot. Special thanks to the church for allowing the use of their lot for this event. 

Neurotypical (a term coined in the autism community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum), begs the question: what is the standard that identifies one person as whole and capable and another as disabled and broken? 

Of the film, director Adam Larsen states, “the majority of the autism documentaries in current circulation are either clinical, sensationalistic, or about the tragedy and struggle. Most are about children and many focus on a desire for a cure. Very few approach the world of autism through those that are autistic. Neurotypical differs greatly in that it gives voice to the autistic population and brings the concept of neurodiversity into the mainstream.”

Neurotypical parallels the lives of three individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families. Violet, 3 years old, is absorbing the sensory world and learning ways to navigate through it; Nicholas, a teenager, is coming to terms with his diagnosis and his identity; and Paula, newly diagnosed, balances her autism advocacy work with the demands of homeschooling her son and sorting out a disintegrating marriage. Through segmented interviews, these three individuals and seven other highly articulate people (both on and off the autism spectrum) bring their personal stories, found philosophies, and candid observations to Neurotypical, calling attention to the subject of neurodiversity as an urgent and multi-layered issue within the 21st century civil rights debate.

For more information on the film, visit neuro-typical.com.

This film is free and open to the public. It is brought to the community by Parent to Parent Family Support Network of the High Country, High Country Families on the Spectrum, and the Reich College of Education. A donation jar for the Parent to Parent Family Support Network will be available at the screenings. 

Questions regarding this film screening may be directed to Rebekah Cummings at cummingsra@appstate.edu or 828-262-8010.

Press release courtesy of Rebekah Cummings.