Hosted by James Neuenschwander
In-person
When
Apr 30, 5:00 PM EDT
Where
The State Theatre
233 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
Price
Free Screening
SPELLERS
The Film
As the film opening asks, “What if we’ve been wrong…about every single one of them?” SPELLERS answers that question, in convincing fashion, through the stories of eight nonspeakers—Aydan, Evan, Sid, Maddie, Jamie, Vince, Cade, and Elizabeth—who all found their voice through the miraculous process of using a letterboard to communicate their thoughts and feelings. As Jamie explains, “we think, feel, and learn just like everyone else.”
The film blends beautiful cinematography with heart-wrenching stories of these eight spellers and a strong message for every parent of a nonspeaker: your child can do this, too. SPELLERS also demands that teachers, schools, and therapists wake up to the reality that we may have underestimated the abilities of more than 50 million people worldwide. #spellers #spellersrevolution #getonboard #spellersdotcom
*We kindly ask if you “buy” a ticket, to please be sure to actually attend the screening. There are a very limited # of seats reserved and we want as many eyes to see this as possible. 🖤
Q&A to follow screening with:
James Neuenschwander, MD
Alyssa Miller, MS, CCC-SLP, Licensed S2C Therapist
Patricia Neuenschwander, MSN,RN,CPNP-PC
Natalie Forshee, S2C Autism Mom and Advocate
Joel Troyer, Autism Dad
About the film
Inspired by the book Underestimated, the new full-length documentary SPELLERS challenges conventional wisdom regarding a group relegated to society’s margins: nonspeakers with autism, who most “experts” believe are cognitively disabled. As the film opening asks, “What if we’ve been wrong…about every single one of them?” SPELLERS answers that question, in convincing fashion, through the stories of eight nonspeakers—Aydan, Evan, Sid, Maddie, Jamie, Vince, Cade, and Elizabeth—who all found their voice through the miraculous process of using a letterboard to communicate their thoughts and feelings. As Jamie explains, “we think, feel, and learn just like everyone else.”
Genre
Documentary
Runtime
1h 23m
Released
2023
Director
Pat Notaro
Executive Producer
Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg, Dawnmarie Gaivin, Dana Johnson, Gail Tanner
Cast
Aydan Boden, Jamie Handley, Cade Larson, Vince Rinicella, Madison Hollman, Evan Tastor, Elizabeth Bonker, Sid Sarathy
About the space
theater
Photos