Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Viewers with Autism Find Camaraderie in a Cinema

Bravo to AMC for screening films for children and adults with autism since 2007 after a mother complained she'd been asked to leave a Maryland theater run by another chain when her autistic child became disruptive. Check out the MetroWest Daily News (Massachusetts) story about the families who are enjoying movies with their children who are on the spectrum.

Working with specialists from the Autistic Society of America, Kansas-based AMC began showing movies with the lights up and volume down for viewers made uncomfortable by the dark or by loud noises.

Carin Yavorcik, spokeswoman for the 200,000 member Autism Society of America, said, "For a lot of families, autism can be very isolating. There's not a lot of social events they can go do." Yavorcik said "sensory friendly movies" provide a low-stress environment where autistic children "can learn appropriate behaviors" without fear of ostracism.

No comments:

Post a Comment