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 Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871
Film makes all the difference
By Bonnie Langston
Freeman staff
January 8, 2010 - The producer and director of a film that addresses the challenges and gifts of teens with a high-functioning form of autism sat in her seat at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck last November wondering if anyone would show up.
They did.
In fact, the 160-seat theater was packed. More than 100 people were turned away, according to Jamey Wolff, who also is program director at The Center for Spectrum Services, 70 Kukuk Lane in Kingston, formerly The Children’s Annex. Most purchased the DVD they were unable to see, depleting the first run of 75.
“What that says to me,” Wolff said, “is that people are very hungry for this kind of information.”
To that end, Upstate Films will provide another free showing at 11 a.m. Feb. 6. Also on hand will be a panel that includes Wolff, writer Jane Nofer, clinical director at the center, and two of the three youths interviewed — Jeff, a senior at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, and Annie, a high school student in the Albany area.
More DVDs will be forthcoming as well, and these will include the endorsement of two of the most highly respected people in the field of autism, Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin.
Through growing media attention spurred by a growth in numbers of individuals on the spectrum, increased reportage or a combination of the two, the public in general is becoming more aware of autism, a disorder of brain function largely marked by challenges with social interaction and communication skills.
“Two years ago, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) calculated the frequency of Autism Spectrum Disorders to be 1 in 150,” Wolff said. “In October of 2009, they revised the statistic to be 1 in 100.”
When the program of the former Children’s Annex started more than 30 years ago, the statistics were 3 in 5,000, Wolff said, although that was before the improvement of diagnoses and the inclusion in the count of high-functioning disorders like Asperger’s.
Despite the emergence of autism as a hot media topic, support material for teenagers with Asperger’s was lacking, Wolff said. She said the center’s 30-minute DVD, “The Asperger’s Difference,” helps fill that void.
The idea for the film was born five years ago when more and more school districts and even colleges began requesting technical assistance from The Children’s Annex to better assist students with Asperger’s.
The result is a DVD that shares the personal stories — challenges and triumphs — of three students, middle-school, high-school and college-age. Also included is a discussion guide with a list of resources to assist young people with Asperger’s to “build self-awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills.”
The material even addresses the topic of self-advocacy and disclosure as an “Aspie.”
Every situation is different, Wolff said. “There are times when it’s probably the right thing to do and not the right thing to do,” she said. “It’s tricky to know the difference. It depends on the person and it depends on the situation.”
Wolff said people often notice the “quirky” aspects of individuals with Asperger’s, while missing their positive traits, which often include original thinking, average or above-average intelligence and passionate interests, frequently in the arts and sciences.
Other typical traits are honesty and sincerity.
“Those are great qualities,” Wolff said, “but also, when you’re a teenager, they can be very isolating.”
“The Asperger’s Difference” is intended, in part, to ameliorate that isolation.
Interviewee Noah Tenney, of California, a college freshman with ties to Woodstock, has been raising awareness about Asperger’s for some time. His part in the DVD is a continuation of that effort.
Tenney, who is studying communications, said he believes the film is not only well organized, but strong in human connections that can help bridge a gap in understanding by the general public. “They have sympathy,” he said, “but not empathy.”
On the other hand, Jeff said he has found — especially on the Internet — that some individuals with Asperger’s think the condition gives them the right to indulge in anti-social behavior.
“You shouldn’t use Asperger’s syndrome as an excuse to be lazy,” said the communication’s major with a concentration in gaming.
“You should try to overcome your problems.”
In fact, Wolff said the “stars” of the film challenged themselves simply by participating in the project. It is not easy to concentrate and articulate answers, she said, for individuals who have trouble with eye-contact, when a camera is pointing in their faces. But Jeff, who said he is a “naturally fairly fidgety person,” said keeping still was the hardest part.
That discomfort, however, was secondary.
“I’m glad I was able to participate in the creation of something that was so needed,” he said, “and may help a lot of people.”
Others who took part are Tobe Carey, editor, of Willow Mixed Media in Glenford, and Robb Webb, of Olivebridge and New York City. Wolff said Webb narrates the CBS television program “60 Minutes,” announces on the network’s “David Letterman Show” and has appeared in a commercial for Microsoft.
Major funding for “The Asperger’s Difference” came from the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation and the Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health Inc.
Money earned from the sale of the DVD will go toward services of the Center for Spectrum Services, which supports two schools — one in Kingston and one in Ellenville as well as a clinic in Kingston. The program also offers community-based services and consults with agencies and public schools.
A trailer for the DVD can be seen on the Web site www.centerforspectrumservices.com, where it may be purchased. Or call the school at (845) 336-2676, ext. 143. Cost is $49.85.
Wolff said the response to “The Asperger’s Difference” has been heartwarming.
“I’ve been so incredibly moved,” she said. “I’ve been close to tears at times.”
One woman wept as she told Wolff the effect on her family when they watched the DVD she purchased after being turned away at Upstate Films. For the first time, members understood what her teenage son was going through, she said. The same parent has arranged for a screening in April at the Emergency Services Center auditorium in the Orange County community of Goshen.
Wolff said The Mid-Hudson Library System has purchased several copies of the DVD, and she hopes other libraries will follow suit.
“It belongs in the diversity library of every public school,” she said. “These students are everywhere, and they should be understood and respected for their unique contributions.”
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