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 Autism Society of America Presents
2002 Media Excellence in Video Award
to First Signs
for On the Spectrum: Children and Autism
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - (July 20, 2002) -- The
Autism
Society of America (ASA)
awarded its Media Excellence in Video Award for 2002 to On
the Spectrum: Children and Autism, produced by the non-profit organization First Signs, Inc. The
award was presented to First Signs
’ president and founder, Nancy Wiseman, on
July 20, 2002 at the ASA’s national conference in Indianapolis, IN.
On the
Spectrum, a 20-minute educational video for primary care pediatric and family
practitioners, serves as part of a national campaign by the Massachusetts-based
non-profit organization, First Signs, Inc. The campaign is designed to promote
early identification and intervention of children at risk for autism and other
developmental disorders and to help physicians recognize their early warning
signs. The video was created in collaboration with the University of Medicine
and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, The
New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community, Inc.
(COSAC), and First Signs, Inc.
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On the Spectrum portrays autism spectrum disorders
with well-organized, factual and clear content, excellent visuals, and informative
interviews. The
video outlines
the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders, provides the guidelines
for conducting a developmental screening, and describes how to relay developmental
concerns to parents. Differences in development are vividly demonstrated through
videotaped examples of typical and atypical behavior in children from four
to thirty-six months of age.
On the Spectrum is filmed in a documentary style.
Newswoman Lesley Stahl of CBS’s 60 Minutes narrates
the video; it also features actor and autism advocate Anthony Edwards of E.R. and
parents of children with autism, including football legend Doug Flutie and
his wife, Laurie Flutie.
The video draws upon clinical
expertise, with interviews of some of the nation’s top experts in the field,
including Margaret Bauman, MD; Frances Page Glascoe, Ph.D.; Stanley Greenspan,
MD; Rebecca Landa, Ph.D.; and Catherine Lord, Ph.D.
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On the Spectrum will help physicians and other
healthcare providers learn the critical signs to look for during each stage
of development. The video explains
that physicians and others cannot afford to “wait and see” when parents report
concerns about their child’s development. By offering this information in
a brief 20-minute video, First Signs
hopes to increase the likelihood that
physicians
will take time from their busy schedules to learn about this important topic.
The
video is a component in the
First Signs
Screening Kit for physicians, which
also includes a developmental milestones wall chart for physician’s offices,
validated screening tools, screening guidelines and an Early Intervention Referral
Guide.
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Funding for the New Jersey version of the video was contributed
by the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Autism,
Parents
of Autistic Children (POAC) and
Cure
Autism Now (CAN).
Executive producers are Nancy D. Wiseman and
Elaine M. Gabovitch, officers of
First Signs, Inc., Merrimac, MA. Producer
is
Richard
Sher, Pipit & Finch
Productions, Inc., Waltham, MA. Editing, camera and sound by Sid Levin and
Nancy Maurer, First
Frame, Inc., Concord, MA.
On the Spectrum was produced in May 2001. First Signs
plans to release
the educational video to a national audience with proper funding in the future.
To
order On the Spectrum,
click here.
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