From the Baltimore Sun:

At the request of parents, AMC Columbia theater in Columbia, Maryland, has started a series of monthly movie events for kids with special needs. The “sensory friendly” showings on Saturday mornings feature brighter lights, lower sound and no previews. Children are allowed to dance, talk and exhibit other behaviors not normally permitted during movies.

The screenings began after an 8-year-old with autism was ejected from an early showing of “Hairspray” at another theater. “She got kicked out because she can’t really sit still,” said her mother, Marianne Ross, who then contacted AMC Columbia. The program has been popular with families, and AMC is considering adding it to other markets. Last month’s selection was The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (above).

“The world is so cruel to people who are different,” said Michele Schwarzman. Her son, who has Tourette’s syndrome, has been shushed and ridiculed at conventional theaters. But at the AMC films, she said, “we can sit in the theater and nobody will comment.”

This entry was posted on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 8:03 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, autism, movies, public attitudes, stigma, tourette's. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post