Educational Media Reviews Online

This film provides an in-depth discussion of autism, a complex neurological disorder, through the experiences of six families with children at the Eden II School for Autistic Children in Staten Island, New York. In order to increase awareness about the disorder, the film observes autistic children Joseph, Peter, Jade, Zachary, Cara and triplets Aaron, Benjamin and Sarah at home and in the school environment at Eden. Specialists also inform and help viewers understand problems autistic children have with communication, socialization, sensory organization, as well as their abnormalities in sensory perception. This discussion combined with the observations of the children in various settings demonstrates the progress the children show in learning ability with the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) system used in the school.

The organization and presentation sequences help to unravel the mystery of autism. Parents share emotional personal thoughts about their acknowledgement of the disease and their interaction with these special children in the home. The way the parents share their stories combined with the observations of the children creates an intense but sensitive presentation of a difficult subject. In addition, observations of the methods used in the school give the viewer a direct and compelling look at the various dimensions of the disorder while illustrating realistic but positive outcomes with the students.

The film resembles a television documentary and includes excellent audio with smooth transitions between the sections of the presentation. It will be beneficial for parents and families of autistic children and an excellent addition for education and psychology collections especially those with emphasis on special needs children and learning disabilities. Highly recommended.