Thursday night marked the Nantucket Film Festival's premiere of Autism Every Day, sponsored by Autism Speaks.
Autism is the nation's fastest growing developmental disorder, according to Autism Speaks. In 1993, 1 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism. Today, that number is 1 in 150. Every 20 minutes, another child is diagnosed.
Autism Every Day, directed by Lauren Thierry, takes viewers inside the lives of families struggling to raise children with autism, a neuro-biological disorder that affects one in every 150 children, according to The Nantucket Film Festival Web site.
Caren Oberg, a Nantucket local, went to see the film at Bennett Hall Thursday evening. "I'm interested on what the film says about autism and children," she said, "It shows the love and challenges that are involved with these families."
There was a great deal of information available to all of the attendees of the film on autism and Autism Speaks, including their Walk Now For Autism. Kim Niederst, the Walk Director for Nantucket's Autism Speaks, has been a part of the organization that sponsored the film for six years.
"Walk Now For Autism is the largest grassroots fundraiser event for autism research, awareness, advocacy and family services," stated Niederst.
For more information on the films in the 12th Annual Nantucket Film Festival, stay tuned to Plum on the web and on Channel 22.
And to find out more about how you can help, please check out Autism Speaks and Walk Now For Autism on our links list.
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