Neurotypical, the Movie

PBS just aired a documentary about autism, from the perspective of several individuals living with autism. As Tom and I watched the show last night many emotions were stirred within us. We remembered the stress of the life we did not expect when, as parents, we entered the world of autism. We felt the pain of the teenage boy who was trying to find his way in the world. We rejoiced with those who had created systems for themselves that saw them through life, and felt the turmoil from the woman and her husband as they struggled to manage their family now that she has been diagnosed with autism. The film featured very real people who, though impacted by the mystery that is autism, have wisdom and humor and insight to share with those called "Neurotypical."

I invite you to watch it here.

Update, September 10, 2013
Unfortunately, the full-length video is no longer available for online streaming. At the moment, it looks like the best thing I can offer you is this link, which should take you to a page on cdbaby where you can read a full description of the film and purchase it if you are interested. (It calls it an "album," but it is, indeed a DVD. Scroll down to the section called About This Album to read a fuller description of the film.) You might contact your local school district and/or public library to see if they have it or will order it. That's what I plan to do as soon as I finish this update. It is certainly worth pursuing.

In the meantime, here is the trailer for the film.

November 7, 2013
Today Paula C Durbin-Westby, one of the people featured in the film, sent me a comment which I have posted below. It expresses her own frustration with how the film portrayed her. I looked at the links she included, and pass them on to any reader who would like another perspective on what was shared in the movie.