Movie gives parents of children with autism a break

By Lacey Nix

Movies are a lot of fun for most people, but for parents of children with autism, they can be a nightmare. Children with the disorder are often sensitive to light and sound, and sitting still for 1-1/2 to 2 hours is nearly impossible. That’s why on Saturday night a group of children with autism and their parents gathered to enjoy a movie and dinner. Kim Disney said she would not take her 8-year-old son Caleb to a movie. Because of his autism it is hard for him to sit still, the sounds can be too much for him, and he likes to run around. An event like autism movie night gives Caleb a chance to be himself, without putting any stress on his parents. Disney said, “Autism is so different it’s hard a lot of times for people to understand why our kids act the way they do. When we are with each other we understand each other, there is no apologizing and explaining and we have that acceptance.” Disney is the President of the Morgan County Autism Foundation, who hosted the event. The foundation consists of 11 members who are trying to raise money for autism awareness in Morgan County. They hope to have more movie nights in the future. Vice-President Angela Long thinks the movie nights are great, especially because it gives parents a chance to connect with other parents going through the same thing. She said, “It gets the kids out around other kids and it gets parents out where we can be around other parents who are dealing with the same situations we are. It gives the kids an opportunity to have fun and run around without anyone being offended.” The children watched the movie, “Horton Hears A Who,” they ate pizza and snacks, and were able to play the Nintendo Wii if interested. Although they had a nice turn out, Kim Disney hopes that next time it will be even bigger. Her goal is to provide nights where kids can be themselves, parents can get the support they need, and they can all help raise awareness about autism.

Source: http://www.reporter-times.com/storie...qp-0064542.sto

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