Heartfelt made-for-TV drama focuses on loving mother Kirstie Alley as she spends all of her time raising her autistic son. When her devotion drives away her husband and daughter, she is approached by social worker Phylicia Rashad, who suggests placing the child in a special school. Torn between letting go and providing her boy with a chance at happiness, Alley faces the most difficult choice of her life.

Jake and Andrew are quite similar in many ways -- both adored by their parents -- and both diagnosed with autism while they were in pre-school. Both Jake and Andrew received an expensive, intensive and to some, a controversial therapy known as Applied Behavioral Analysis or ABA. It's not a cure for autism. However, applied early, the intensive and highly-structured teaching of skills can work minor miracles and over a long period of time, can have a dramatic impact on learning skills and social interaction. ABC News correspondent John Donvan explores how this treatment is being hailed as one of the few known keys to unlock the mysterious doors of autism. Correspondent: John Donvan

ABC News reports on Aspergers Syndrome, a debilitating, life-long, neurological disorder with similarities to autism. Children with Aspergers have intense obsessions, great difficulty carrying on normal conversations or feeling emotions. Their obsession is a symptom of the unique disorder. They're highly intelligent but their brains are wired differently. They can't read faces if someone's sad or angry, so that leaves them alone, isolated. ABC News spends time with kids struggling to understand the language of life.

Autism Difficult to Detect in Girls: As new research filters in about autism, there is one group that is being left out: girls. Current statistics estimate that only 1 in 5 people diagnosed with autism are girls. Researchers and psychologists now say that number may be much higher and that girls are better able to mask the symptoms of autism.

Missing indications of autism is a common problem that one leading advocacy group, ''Autism Speaks,'' wants to change. It has launched a Web site contrasting typical behavior with autistic behavior in children called ''Red Flags of Autism.'' ABC News' John Donvan reports.

A look at emotions and autism: Can people with autism feel love and heart-break the same way non-autistic people do? ABC News Nightline correspondent John Donvan profiles Paul DeSavino, a 36-year-old New Jersey man living with autism who says he's in love. But does he really know what it means to be in love and to connect? His mother, Marlene, describes how his condition makes it more difficult for him to connect with others. "He goes off into his own little world and that's the difficult part in having a relationship. It's because he leaves them. He could leave them cold and he can't open himself up. He doesn't know how to do that yet." In part two of John's series, it's not a story about those who have autism but those touched by it. The people linked to autism because their brothers and sisters have it. You'll meet a remarkable young man who's honest about how autism has changed his life but who is filled with so much love and devotion for his brother that it's inspiring.

SURFING AND AUTISM: It may be surprising to learn that some autistic children take an interest in surfing. Many parents of autistic children have discovered surfing can be a valuable reprieve from a sometimes stressful life. TAKEN: ALAN JOHNSTON : BBC Reporter Alan Johnston talks to ABC News about his kidnapping in Gaza. Anchor: Martin Bashir Airdate: 10/29/2007

For parents who hear the devastating news that a child has autism, it is one of the first questions -- and the one no one can answer: what will my child's life be? Will he find his place in the world? Autistic children seem forever locked in a kind of childhood. But they do, of course, grow into adults and some overcome their disabilities significantly. But for so many, especially the profoundly autistic, the challenge to find a place in the world continues. And for parents of adult children with autism there is a new question: who will help my child after I am gone?

Marc and Sophia Augier were overjoyed when their dream of a big family quickly became a reality with the birth of son Marcel and, little more than a year later, twin boys Christophe and Henri. Yet that dream turned into a nightmare when they found out that, incredibly, all three babies suffered from autism. This mysterious and complex developmental brain disorder-which affects, by some estimates, as many as one in 166 children-has no known cause or cure. ABC News reports how the Augiers decided to devote their lives and their savings to pursue a cutting-edge and sometimes controversial-therapy for their sons called "Applied Behavior Analysis," or ABA, in an effort to prevent them from slipping away forever into a world of utter isolation.

Every day 50 families in America will find out that their child is autistic; it is a diagnosis that descends like a curtain over a family that has been struggling to understand a child's developmental and behavioral problems. It is never easy to diagnose autism. There are no medical tests. Diagnosis must be based on observation of the child's behavior. On this episode of American Family you'll learn how parents raise an autistic child

When doctor Jerry Lovell (Liam Neeson, Oscar - nominee for "Schindler's List") discovers a young woman living alone in the backwoods of North Carolina, he is intrigued by her erratic behavior and unique pattern of speech. Together with a psychologist (Natasha Richardson), Lovell determines to pierce Nell's private world and protect her from the courts - and a life of scientific study. In a race against time and a system bent on shattering her spirit, he finds that the woman whose way of life he has sought to protect, has transformed his own forever.

This is the second DVD in the Attwood series on Asperger�s Syndrome. The first is a widely acclaimed introduction into Asperger�s Syndrome. This DVD goes into depth on three important issues; anger management, teaching teachers, and teenage issues. This presentation was offered to rave reviews at conferences in the United States. Dr. Tony Attwood, from Brisbane, Australia, is the world's leading therapist on Asperger's Syndrome. Here, in his second DVD, Tony offers concrete counsel in three important interrelated areas; Anger Management, Teaching Teachers about Asperger's Syndrome and Teenage Issues. This edition perfectly complements his first DVD that introduces the viewer to what Asperger's is, isn't, and ways to assist the person with this interesting challenge. Dr. Tony Attwood is a Clinical Psychologist who has specialized in autism for the last 30 years. As a practicing clinician with special interest in early diagnosis, severe challenging behavior and Asperger's Syndrome, hsi experience covers the full spectrum, from the profoundly disabled to the highly functioning.

This DVD covers the theory of mind of those with this challenge. His ideas broaden our perception and understanding of Asperger's syndrome. These recordings were made during a presentations given during Dr. Attwood's travels to Nashville, Atlanta, Detroit and Seattle. This presentation is especially well-suited to acquainting groups with Asperger's syndrome.

Spectrum Connections is all about Connections, connecting autistic children to their own thoughts, words, and actions, as well as connecting autistic children with their parents. For the parents of kids on the Spectrum, there is extremely limited, if any, appropriate entertainment product for their children. These DVD's and associated music CD's, are designed to provide these often overwhelmed and highly motivated parents with some much needed relief and joy at seeing their children appropriately entertained. The second volume in the series also features Elizabeth and Balloo. The DVD features original songs and activities targeted to help children identify and model a variety of physical gestures and concepts. The DVD inlcudes added features.

Spectrum Connections is all about Connections, connecting autistic children to their own thoughts, words, and actions, as well as connecting autistic children with their parents. For the parents of kids on the Spectrum, there is extremely limited, if any, appropriate entertainment product for their children. These DVD's and associated music CD's, are designed to provide these often overwhelmed and highly motivated parents with some much needed relief and joy at seeing their children appropriately entertained. This class is led by licensed music therapist and gifted entertainer, Elizabeth Balzano, MA, MT-BC, and the playful and communicative computer-animated character, Balloo. the DVD features original songs and activities that help children identify and coordinate basic emotions and physical activities. The DVD includes added features and information for Parents.

If your child or student can't recognize the expression of surprise, stress, joy, or any one of 409 additional emotions, Mind Reading is an engaging computer program with actors who depict emotional levels from the simple to the complex. An invaluable resource for teachers and parents of children on the autism spectrum, Mind Reading can also be utilized by people working in the dramatic arts. It offers a variety of fames, lessons, quizzes and rewards for learning or recognizing emotional expression. *Actor Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, plays a part in Mind Reading.

The chilling tale of Dr. Joyce Reardon an obsessed psychology professor who commissions a team of psychics and a gifted 15-year-old autistic girl Annie Wheaton to literally wake up a supposedly dormant haunted mansion rose red. Their efforts unleash myriad spirits and uncover horrifying secrets. Script by Stephen King.

Bruce Willis stars as a demoted FBI agent who comes to the aid of an autistic boy whose mind holds a potentially deadly secret. It seems that by gazing on a puzzle magazine and making order out of a hidden system of numbers, the 9-year-old autistic boy (Miko Hughes) has accidentally deciphered a sophisticated top-secret government code. This makes him the prime target of the ruthless bureaucrat (Alec Baldwin, in one of his silliest roles), and Willis comes to the rescue.

Embracing Play DVD teaches parents how to keep a child with autism engaged through what comes naturally to most children --- play. Playing is the doorway for a parent and young child with autism to connect and communicate. And this video gives parents a way to open that doorway. For a child with autism, interactions with people and objects such as toys can be very difficult or atypical. This video is an ideal tool for parents of newly diagnosed children waiting to begin a formal program such as ABA or for parents and therapists who want to supplement an ongoing course of therapy. Embracing Play shows dozens of play sessions between parent or professional and child. Using a technique called Object Focused Play, developed by the Behavioral Intervention Association, the video teaches parents how to use toys to capture a child�s attention and initiate learning. Very easy-to-follow, these scenes allow parents to replicate the same play activities at home, and begin to help their child interact with people and objects in their surrounding environment.

A widowed architect and her two children return to the US following an expedition to Central America, where they studied Mayan ruins. The daughter suddenly becomes withdrawn and refuses to speak.

An autistic boy is the only witness to his parents' murder. A psychiatrist with a troubled past of his own attempts to help the boy deal with his loss and to recount his recollection of the crime.

Speech and Language Pathologist, Sally Bligh, describes the role of the SLP in working with children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. As the director of the Bligh Speech Therapy Center and as an SLP for over 20 years, Sally has developed successful techniques and strategies for working with children on the autistic spectrum. In this video, she explains the use of Social Language Groups to facilitate social communication. Because of the many similarities between AS and NLD, the strategies included in these programs would also work well for children diagnosed with Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities.

An intelligent, moving and beautiful portrait of Sabine, a 38-year-old autistic woman, filmed by her sister, the famous French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. Through personal footage filmed over a period of 25 years, it is revealed that Sabine's growth and many talents were crushed by improper diagnosis and an inadequate care structure. After a tragic five-year stay in a psychiatric hospital, Sabine finally finds a new lease on life in a home together with other young people living with similar mental and emotional illnesses. This very intimate film also sends an urgent message to a society that still does not know how to properly take care of its citizens with physical and psychological disabilities.

Many children with disabilities have poor sensorimotor integration. In this lively DVD focusing on young children, get a first-hand view of a theme-based (dinosaurs) sensorimotor lesson. After a brief introduction to sensory integration and its importance for developing functional skills and adaptive responses to the environment, see step-by-step how a series of seven sensorimotor activities (warm-up, vestibular, proprioception, balance, eye-hand coordination, cool-down and fine motor) are combined in fun games and activities to result in better readiness to learn. The activities use a transdisciplinary approach in an inclusive classroom with typical peer models.

Subtitle: Simulations and Solutions for Parents, Teachers and Therapists

A poignant, uplifting fable about a young girl and her relationship with a mute boy who dreams of flying. Together they learn if you wish hard enough, anything is possible.Year: 1986 Director: Nick CastleStarring: Lucy Deakins, Jay Underwood, Bonnie Bedelia, Fred Savage

Air Date: 02/18/07 How early can a child be diagnosed with autism? Researchers at the University of California's M.I.N.D. Institute are trying to identify the symptoms in children as young as 1 year old. Even infants are being screened for early warning signs of this neurological disorder. The hope is that early intervention will reduce autism's most debilitating symptoms. Lesley Stahl reports on the effort to diagnose and treat a condition that affects one in every 150 children.

This DVD introduces parents to Occupational Therapy (OT) and what it can do for a child. Occupational Therapist, Britt Collins, combines traditional Occupation Therapy exercises with Applied Behavior Analysis to teach parents and caregivers various skills which can assist in desensitizing a child and help them on the path to reprogramming their brain function. Britt guides us through this program in both clinical and easy to follow terms. She also provides families with a guideline on how to integrate "sensory diets" into their home. Britt and the children demonstrate basic OT activities that are easily accessible at home with items such as shaving cream, hula hoops, and rice and beans. Britt shows how to keep children interested by keeping sessions fun, at the same time she explains how each exercise is helping the child.

In the summer of 1995 documentary filmmaker Henry Corra gave his 12-year-old autistic son a video camera to document his own life. The film, GEORGE, that emerged over the next year, as father and son filmed side by side, is a swirling kaleidoscope of sights and sounds that turns into a stunning look at autism -- and the fundamental nature of perception itself. Corra looks as closely as he dares at his son's autism while, in the background, his family begins to unravel.

This DVD contains four programs; three for siblings of different ages and developmental levels, and one for their parents. The sibling programs are for children ages 4-7, ages 7-12 and ages 12 to adult. This video shows siblings that other kids are facing the same challenges they face, and explores a range of ways the kids interviewed have learned to get along with and enjoy their brothers and sisters. The video also can help parents understand the special needs of their neurotypical children. The segment for siblings ages 4-7 features puppets and the segments for older siblings feature interviews with brother and sisters. The segment for parents includes interviews with mothers and fathers.

The collection of 1300 picture symbols in ISPEEK at Home provides an easy-to-use and enjoyable tool for overcoming communication difficulties in children with autistic spectrum disorders. The CD-ROM contains symbols for a wide range of situations typically encountered in the home and beyond, from feelings and facial expressions - common problem areas for people with autism - to health and hygiene and holidays. It also provides useful word templates to inspire parents and carers in putting together daily schedules, as well as PDF samples to assist them in setting up visual aids for children with autism, helping them to interact better with their home environment. These bright, contemporary and culturally various symbols will be a welcome communication aid for parents, carers and other professionals working with people on the autism spectrum at home.

Beautiful and vibrant, Molly McKay might have a mental disability but she's not about to let the world pass her by. Starring Academy Award nominee Elizabeth Shue in an inspired performance, Molly is a joyous celebration of the irrepressible human spirit. Autistic since birth, 28-year-old Molly (Shue) isa carefree young woman with an incredible zest for life. Her brother Buck (Aaron Eckhart), a 32-year-old with a full social calendar and a booming career, has had little contact with Molly over the yearsuntil the facility that cares for her closes down. Now it's up to Buck to take his sister in and that's turning into a full-time job! Bold, childlike and very energetic, Molly completely envelops her brother's life and turns his ordered world into chaos. Then, just when Buck is at his wit's end, Molly becomes a candidate for a new medical procedure that could cure her completely but is it worth the risk? Molly sure thinks so'she's ready to experience everything!

Jake trains dogs for underground dog fights while looking after his autistic brother, Ben. He is struggling to keep his inner demons at bay but one day all hell breaks loose when he kills the brother of mob boss Sal Fortunato. In retaliation Fortunato sends his son Frank (Raymond Franza) and his crew down south for quick and brutal mafia-style revenge of his brother s death.

This video is designed to help parents, educators and health care professionals better understand autism or similiar diagnosis such as Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and Asperger's Syndrome. Most importantly, this video explains why we have great hope to find more effective treatments for autism and even a cure! Anthony Edwards graciously and compassionaltly hosts the video offering valuable information and inspiration to the viewers.

Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Alan Rickman star in this film about what happens in the aftermath of a young woman's death. Recently released from prison, Alex (Rickman) offers a ride to a hitchhiker, only to have her killed instantly when their car endures a brutal accident. Alex then approaches the girl's mother, and the events that unfold change his life and other around him dramatically.

tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence. Jodie Foster (who also directed) plays Fred�s mother Dede, who attempts to give her son a "normal" childhood while simultaneously feeding his intellectual curiosity.

Glenn Gould was a Canadian master pianist and radio innovator who mysteriously stopped touring in 1963 at the height of his success. Instead of the usual linear biopic, Girard's avant-garde approach attempts to capture the essence of Gould's personality and genius through 32 short vignettes -- ranging from factual to fanciful -- on the pianist's career. The film won four Genie awards (Canada's Oscars), including Best Picture.

Perhaps one of the most noted high-functioning individuals with autism in the world, Temple Grandin, PhD eloquently describes not only her challenges but also offers ideas as to how other people with autism can meet the obstacles and improve their lives.

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL follows the extraordinary and innovative acting coach Elaine Hall, five autistic children, and their parents as they improbably, heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating. A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs and heartbreaking hardship, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with this increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal. A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. Called 'Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads'; (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism

Just about everything in Endora, Iowa (pop. 1,091 and dwindling) is eating Gilbert Grape, a twenty-four-year-old grocery clerk who dreams only of leaving. His enormous mother, once the town sweetheart, has been eating nonstop ever since her husband's suicide, and the floor beneath her TV chair is threatening to cave in. Gilbert's long-suffering older sister, Amy, still mourns the death of Elvis, and his knockout younger sister has become hooked on makeup, boys, and Jesus -- in that order. But the biggest event on the horizon for all the Grapes is the eighteenth birthday of Gilbert's younger brother, Arnie, who is a living miracle just for having survived so long. As the Grapes gather in Endora, a mysterious beauty glides through town on a bicycle and rides circles around Gilbert, until he begins to see a new vision of his family and himself....

Director's Note: In the early 90's, I set out to do what families fear the most -- to tell the world, in my case through a video documentary, our most protected secret. "Well, you've certainly dropped a bombshell," my mother said, after a long pause, when I told her my intention. The secret was my brother, Alan, who in 1950 was born with striking blue eyes and a brain so severely damaged he would never develop the ability to speak. Alan became a secret suddenly. In 1958, he was sent to live in Letchworth Village, a state-run institution for people with mental retardation. And after that day, almost all mention of him within the home virtually ceased. "An honest, tender, must-see documentary for anyone who cares about people with significant cognitive disabilities and their families, Without Apology tells a tale once lived by thousands but until now revealed by few.. By focusing on the emotional struggles that she and her own parents endured when, desperate for services, they sent her brother Alan to an institution, Susan Hamovitch reveals one family's experience in the days when solutions were scarce and shame was plentiful.. The result is a heart-rendering gem of history, biography, and self-reflection and the triumph of truth over secrets." : Rachel Simon, author, Riding the Bus with My Sister. http://www.withoutapology.com/

World-class stars Michael Caine (HANNAH AND HER SISTERS), Brenda Blethyn (SECRETS AND LIES), and Ewan McGregor (STAR WARS: EPISODE I, BLACK HAWK DOWN) deliver acclaimed performances in an inspirational story about a painfully shy young woman and how the power of music leads her to an amazing transformation! A hopeless introvert, "Little Voice," (Jane Horrocks, TV's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS) can only manage to express herself by singing in the timeless voices of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and others. But once her eccentric mother's (Blethyn) new boyfriend -- a sleazy talent scout (Caine) overhears Little Voice's incredible crooning, he'll do anything to drag the recluse into the spotlight and make her a star! Cheered by critics everywhere -- don't miss your chance to enjoy this truly exceptional motion picture!

Fred Savage stars in this warm-hearted family adventure that features the excitement and thrills of video game competition. Corey (Savage) refuses to let his autistic younger brother Jimmy (Luke Edwards) be institutionalized, and the two run away together. They soon join forces with a resourceful girl (Jenny Lewis), who notices that Jimmy has a special talent: he is a "wizard" at video games and gets the high score on absolutely everything he plays. Evading their parents and a sinister bounty hunter, the trio head for a climactic showdown at the video game championships in California. Co-starring Beau Bridges and Christian Slater, it's an inside look at the world of video gamers that will have you cheering the whole way.

Senso-cize! is a unique video of trampoline play that incorporates exercise, language and fun! Researched and developed by a Speech Language Pathologist and a mother of young children, Senso-cize! facilitates communication and language development with activities that incorporate listening, following directions, receptive language, expressive language, fine motor and gross motor skills. This video is an excellent source of proprioceptive and vestibular input for children with disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD, ADHD, and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. For ages 1 and up.

Aan Introduction to The Son-Rise Program®, a unique program and methodology designed to treat children and adults with autism. The Son-Rise Program was created by authors/teachers Barry Neil Kaufman and Samahria Lyte Kaufman when their son, Raun, was diagnosed as severely and incurably autistic. Although advised to institutionalize him because of his supposed hopeless, lifelong condition, the Kaufmans instead designed an innovative home-based, child-centered program in an attempt to reach their little boy. The Kaufmans' unique program, which marked a complete departure from existing methods of treatment, transformed Raun from a mute, withdrawn child with an IQ of less than 30 into a highly verbal, socially interactive youngster with a near-genius IQ. Bearing no traces of his former condition, Raun graduated from an Ivy League university and went on to become the director of an educational center for school-aged children. He is currently the CEO of Autism Treatment Center of AmericaTM and The Option Institute. Following the publication of the best-selling book, Son-Rise (now updated to Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues), and the award-winning NBC-TV movie Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love, the Kaufmans were flooded with requests for help. Responding to this demand, the Kaufmans established The Option Institute and the Autism Treatment Center of AmericaTM, where they have been offering The Son-Rise Program since 1983.

This DVD is like having a personalized hands-on workshop, providing definitions and concrete examples of the ins and outs of the natural environment portion of a verbal behavior program. Teaching Manding Using Sign Language explains how to teach your child to request items beginning with many prompts and then how to fade your prompts systematically so that your child can learn to ask for things independently and spontaneously using sign. This DVD is specifically created to help parents and professionals teach non-vocal children how to use sign language to ask for things that they want. Creators and behavior analysts Holly Kibbe and Cherish Twigg explicitly define each type of mand and clearly demonstrate how to teach them. In addition, video examples of actual children learning each type of mand are shown. You will learn what is and what is not natural environment teaching as well as how to teach the mands in the natural environment. It also provides important guidelines to teaching the mand, prompt fading strategies, strategies for problem solving and how to make manding easy and fun for your child. This DVD is over one hour in duration.

This DVD is like having a personalized hands-on workshop, providing definitions and concrete examples of the ins and outs of the natural environment portion of a verbal behavior program. Teaching Vocal Manding explains how to teach your child to request items beginning with many prompts and then how to fade your prompts systematically so that your child can learn to ask for things independently and spontaneously. Creators and behavior analysts Holly Kibbe and Cherish Twigg explicitly define each type of mand and clearly demonstrate how to teach them. In addition, video examples of actual children learning each type of mand are shown. You will learn what is and what is not natural environment teaching as well as how to teach the mands in the natural environment. It also provides important guidelines to teaching the mand, prompt fading strategies, strategies for problem solving and how to make manding easy and fun for your child. This DVD is over one hour in duration.

Trilingual Tots is designed to : 1. Help new parents introduce different languages to their children at the age appropriate stage of their lives. 2. Enable children with learning difficulties such as autism and speech delays, to be able to communicate. 3. Help parents of deaf children to be able to learn American Sign Language and remove the frustration of not being able to communicate with their children. 4. Aid hearing children of deaf parents to develop language skills early. 5. Fulfill the desire to learn a new language be it early or late in life with the format which we all learned our first language. Simple basic and built on what we already know. 6. Aid for teachers and care providers to include basic foreign language development in their classrooms. Learn 2 new languages in just 5 minutes a day.

Howie Lane began making documentary videos in 1992 after retiring from the Foreign Service of the U.S. where he spent must of his 25-year career in Latin America. His early efforts depicted everyday life in Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico. His documentary, Panama Today; was awarded an honorable mention at the New York Film Festival in 1994. Later he made several videos for the AAA's educational programs. Having left the video scene for other business pursuits he returned in 2007 to produce and direct The Story of Luke, an intimate account of a boy growing up with autism.

Dr. Reineger a famous neuro-psychologist has become convinced that a twin girl named Anna has Asperger's Syndrome. As for her blind sister Sarah the doctor cannot say for sure why her imaginary visions map so close to Anna's. At home unable to face reality their father leaves the family. To escape the pain the girls sink deeper and deeper into their imaginations. When a major earthquake takes their mother's life Reineger gets more involved with helping the now-orphaned twins while struggling with his realization that the girls seem to be capable of prophetic visions. The girls escape the doctor's institution and a subsequent search finds no trace of them. Have they transcended the physical realm? A mixture of live action stop motion animation and other techniques makes this film a fantastic journey into the realm of imagination.

Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) has just discovered he has an autistic brother named Raymond (Hoffman) and is now taking him on the ride of his life. Or is it the other way around? From his refusal to drive on major highways to a four minutes to Wapner meltdown at an Oklahoma farmhouse, Raymond first pushes hot-headed Charlie to the limits of his patience and then pulls him completely out of his self-centered world! But what began as an unsentimental journey for the Babbitt brothers becomes much more than the distance between two places; it's a connection between two vastly different people and a poignant, profound and powerful film.

Is "recovery" possible? Kelly Londenberg, a 21-year-old therapist who has worked with over 300 autistic children believes that "recovery" is possible. Because of her extensive background in working with many autistic children and young adults, she has gathered years of practical experience and knowledge. But what is truly unique about her insightful knowledge is that fact that she is autistic herself. In this video interview, Kelly shares her thoughts and experiences with autism and how it feels to be autistic. She discusses her experience with sensory problems, the pain of being touched, her difficulties with emotions, how food such as milk and bread affect her behavior and why changes in her environment affects her emotionally. This video interview is a fascinating look into the mind of an autistic person who answers many question relating to her experiences and how she sees the world. For any family touch by autism, this documentary is an invaluable resource for understanding and helping others to understand what is truly going on in the mind of an autistic child.

This series of instructional DVD's provides parents, educators and therapists with the tools needed to utilize Applied Behavior Analysis in an effective manner for teaching children with autistic spectrum disorders and related developmental disabilities. This set of 17 modules on 8 DVDs will teach you everything you need to know to get started with therapy TODAY!

Deborah Kara Unger is a single mother and lingerie model in a bible belt 1960�s southern town, a one woman scandal. She struggles to keep her life afloat amongst judging small town eyes that both resent and love her beauty. Her son, eight year old Tommy is a frail boy, full of dreams and fantasies caught in an town of misfits and bullies, with only his mother to protect him.

The My World Learning Expressions DVD introduces children to the exciting world of expressions that exists all around them. Together with "Mr. Smiles", "Little Miss Sad" and "Mr. Cranky Pants", this creative DVD demonstrates various facial expressions and connects them with their meanings. It's a fun and exciting way to learn about one of our most common ways of communication - expression! This DVD also includes a Repeat/Play function and easy to understand menu.

The My World Learning-Colors DVD is designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Down Syndrome and other developmental delays. This DVD introduces children to the exciting world of colors that exists all around them. This creative DVD includes color displays by the "Bristle Bunch", real life images and animated characters. In addition, this DVD also includes a Repeat Play function and a easy to understand menu. The My World Learning Colors DVD has a running time of approximately 25 minutes. Each My World Learning DVD has been intelligently crafted based on research and training, using specific therapy techniques utilized in speech/language and relationship therapy. This allows for children with neuroprocessing disorders to attain comprehension of concepts and have a fun and entertaining experience. Concept repetition, voice altered inflection/intonation, declarative statements and a pace that has been slowed down phonetically are important details included in this and other My World Learning DVDs.

The My World Learning - Shapes DVD is designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrom and other developmental delays. It is a colorful exploration of shapes that exist within the world of a child. By highlighting shapes in their environment, both inside and outside the home, this DVD introduces your child to the concepts of Circles, Triangles and Squares. Triangle Guy, Mr. Circle and Mr. Square lead us to find various shapes around the home and in the community. This amusing DVD includes creative puppet shows, real world images and animated characters. In addition, this DVD also includes a Repeat Play function and a easy to understand menu. The My World Learning Shapes DVD has a running time of approximately 25 minutes. Each My World Learning DVD has been carefully created and intelligently crafted based on research and training, using specific therapy techniques utilized in speech/language and relationship therapy. This allows children with neuroprocessing disorders to attain comprehension of concepts and at the same time have a fun and entertaining experience. Concept repetition, voice altered inflection/intonation, declarative statements and a pace that has been slowed down phonetically are important details included in this and other My World Learning DVDs.

Myles shares her insights about the rage cycle along with interventions for combating the stress from daily life experienced by individuals with an ASD in everyday life.

Starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill, Pitch Black), Mozart and the Whale is a heartwarming, romantic drama inspired by the true story of two people with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, whose emotional dysfunctions threaten to sabotage their budding romance. Donald (Hartnett) is a good-natured but hapless taxi driver with a love of birds and a superhuman knack for numbers. Like many AS sufferers, he likes patterns and routines. But when the beautiful but complicated Isabelle (Mitchell) joins the autism support group he leads, his life-- and his heart -- are turned upside down.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn give career-defining performances in this humorous and heart-warming film about a mentally-challenged father who enlists the aid of a high-powered attorney to help him regain custody of his daughter. An all-star supporting cast and a spectacular soundtrack complete this unforgettable story of life, love and laughter.

Set against a backdrop of unprecedented upheaval in Britain, triple Emmy Award-winning The Lost Prince tells the very human story of a unique family and an extraordinary boy. Acclaimed writer and director Stephen Poliakoff tells the little-known story of Prince John, youngest child of George V and Queen Mary, whose short life spanned one of the most momentous periods in history - the political build-up to the First World War and the machinations of European royalty in the early part of the 20th century. Diagnosed as an epileptic, and suffering from autistic-like learning difficulties, Prince John is unable to participate in public life and becomes increasingly isolated from his family. Miranda Richardson portrays Queen Mary, the emotionally repressed mother of Prince John. A fundamentally inhibited character, she is a loving mother but has great difficulty communicating with her son. Michael Gambon plays Edward VII, Prince John's grandfather. He is a bluff, plain-speaking cove, with an unmistakable affection for the grandson who often blurts out home truths others are too genteel to articulate. Tom Hollander takes the role of King George V, the deeply conflicted soul who is John's father. Fourteen-year-old Matthew Thomas plays Prince John from the ages of nine to 14. He beat 600 boys to the part of the royal son. Daniel Williams plays Prince John in the early years.

Through the eyes of Autism is a short film that shows an autistic child's world through visual imagery, music, sound effects, and text. This film uses different attributes of autism as chapters. The film is entirely through the child's point of view and uses typical childhood settings like school, the playground, and home to show their world

A father and his autistic daughter try to escape a hospital that has mysteriously become a portal for dark creatures from a different world.

Driven career nurse maggier oconnors life is suddenly turned upside down when she is left to raise her sister's unusual daughter by herself. Maggie discovers that her young neice possesses extraordinary powers that forces of evil have waited centuries to control.

Autism Movement Therapy is the first simple, FUN step-by-step instructional DVD to integrate music and movement for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Movement Therapy combines structured movement with music connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain for a 'whole brain' cognitive re-mapping approach. This innovative and creative new approach is the perfect solution for working with your child or student and assisting in the way that they interact with their peers, works in groups, and perform academically in the classroom. AMT allows you and your child/student to creatively move to structured sequences and patterns in your own home, office or in a classroom for just 15 minutes a day, 2-3 times a week in order to see results. AMT is a natural strategy for students with limited speech and language communication skills because they are able to express themselves through music and dance and at the same time experience the thrill of actually moving their bodies through space. Research studies indicate that the bridge between the left and right hemispheres -- when strengthened -- allows information to be transmitted that otherwise is not being processed. Bridging the two sides of the brain to increase cognitive processing assimilation or ' WAKING UP THE BRAIN' is the ultimate goal of Autism Movement Therapy.

Signing Families introduces their newest DVD...Baby, Toddler, Preschool Sign Language with Louise and Friends. This DVD was made especially for families, children, caregivers, and teachers who live and work with young children. Signing with a child helps foster language development, form bonds between caregiver and child, and reduces negative behavior because a child is able to communicate their wants and needs. Baby, Toddler, Preschool Sign Language with Louise and Friends is comprised of dozens of signs typically demonstrated by children during their early years of development. Louise models and explains the signs by providing easy to follow directions to assist adults and children in learning sign language. The first chapters show signs for basic needs such as MORE, EAT, SLEEP, MILK and DRINK. Subsequent chapters match the typical progression of language development of children, as they grow older; thus, the DVD instruction continues with signs to help children with learning transitions such as getting dressed and playtime. This DVD incorporates signs for courtesies including PLEASE and THANK YOU and helps increase cooperation with signs like SHARE, TAKE TURNS, and WAIT. All instruction is voiced and signed. A Bonus section is included that demonstrates signing the ABC s and the Numbers 1-10 (both English and Spanish). Lastly, many signs are reintroduced with Spanish narration. Adults who live and work with children who have speech and language delays, autism or other special needs will find this DVD beneficial in helping children develop language skills. In total the viewers of Baby, Toddler, Preschool Sign Language with Louise and Friends will introduce you to nearly 100 signs in English and Spanish! Come join us on our sign language journey!!!!

Returning home to visit her divorced parents, a woman recalls the past when she sorts through old photographs. Through flashbacks, she reminisces about her complicated family history--including how arguments about how to raise her autistic brother created a rift between her mother and father that was impossible to repair. Anjelica Huston, Sam Neill, Kyra Sedgwick, and Dermot Mulroney star in this sweeping family drama.

This two-part program features interviews with kids with autism and their parents. They examine the key issues encountered during childhood and adolescence. Childhood Issues covers the difficulty of getting an accurate diagnosis, parental acceptance of the disability, dealing with communication deficits and beginning school. Adolescent Issues features hypersensitivities, splinter skills, teasing, Circle of Friends programs, social skills, school-to-work transition and independent living. Closed Captioned.

When a young autistic boy witnesses a traumatizing event and falls into a mysterious catatonic state a lovely young psychologist takes on the challenge of helping him. But her solitary quest for answers gets more peculiar and unnerving at each turn which tests her very hold on reality.

In America during the 1950s and 1960s, the cultural assumption was that a woman s most important contribution to society was her ability to raise happy, well-adjusted children. But, for a mother whose child was diagnosed with autism, her life s purpose turned into a twisted nightmare. Instead of offering help and guidance, the medical establishment pinned the blame for her child s bizarre behavior on her frigid or detached mothering labeling her a refrigerator mother. This important documentary paints a painful portrait of an entire generation of mothers who were once isolated and alienated. Now, they raise their strong, resilient voices to share their personal journeys, exposing what happens when humanity is removed from medical or scientific research.

A battle between a mother and a psychologist for the heart and mind of an autistic boy turns into a desperate fight for justice in this powerfully compelling drama, based on a true story. Is young Michael Barth a disruptive, mentally retarded mute or does his silent exterior hide an intelligent, rational child? Terry Walser, his teacher, believes that through revolutionary and controversial new teaching techniques, she can work miracles with the boy. But, this brings her into conflict with Michael�s mother, Karen, who has devoted her life to Michael�s care. Then, Michael reveals a shocking truth: he has been molested. To punish the guilty, Michael must make legal history and go through the trauma of giving evidence in court. The perfect victim must become the perfect instrument of justice and prove that when a trust is betrayed, the truth cannot stay silent.

Jennifer Venditti's first feature documentary tells the story of Billy, an articulate but isolated fifteen-year-old boy trying to figure out life and death, love, and rock and roll. Nerdy but heroic, Billy wanders through the quiet streets of small-town Maine, trying to traverse the frustrating gap between imagination and reality. By turns exhilarating and disturbing, and featuring an explosive soundtrack of KISS and a host of hot indie artists, Billy the Kid captures an intimate view of an expressive and seemingly fearless outsider.

"Autism is a World" is a documentary about Sue Rubin, who is autistic. Sue was diagnosed and treated as mentally retarded until the age of 13 when she began to communicate using a keyboard. Now she is a junior in college. In Sue's own words, "Autism is a World" takes the viewer on a journey into her mind, her daily world, and her life with autism. A co-production of CNN Productions and State of the Art, Inc., the film has been honored with numerous awards including a 2004 Academy Award nomination for Documentary Short Subject. With Closed Captioning, and two additional audio tracks: Audio Description of the Visually Impaired and Spanish.

Through three turbulent decades forrest rides a tide of events that whisks him from physical disability to football stardom from vietnam hero to shrimp tycoon from white house honors to the arms of his one true love. Forrest is an innocent at large in an america that is losing its innocence.