On Feb. 25th “The Secret World of Arrietty” is Sensory Friendly

Once a month, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities ”Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings“ – a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite “family-friendly” films in a safe and accepting environment.

The movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

Does it make a difference?  Absolutely!  “It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater” says Special Needs Parenting Expert Rosie Reeves “they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet”.  For a parent with a special needs child attempting an outing like this may seem overwhelming. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children”.

On January 7th at 10am local time, “The Secret World of Arrietty” will be screened as part of the Autism Society “Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings” program. Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program.

Coming March 10:  Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

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Editor’s note: The Secret World of Arrietty is rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America. As always, please check the IMDB listing for a more detailed description of this film to determine if it is right for you and your child.

January 7th Sensory Friendly Film: The Adventures of Tintin

Once a month, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities ”Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings“ – a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite “family-friendly” films in a safe and accepting environment.

The movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

“It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater” says Special Needs Parenting Expert Rosie Reeves “they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet. When a child has special needs all these elements and many others can prove too daunting to even attempt such an outing. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children”.

On January 7th at 10am local time, “The Adventures of Tintin” will be screened as part of the Autism Society “Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings” program. Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program.

Coming February 25th: The Secret World of Arrietty

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Editor’s note: The Adventures of TinTin is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America. As always, please check the IMDB Parent’s Guide for a more detailed description of this film s to determine if it is right for you and your child.

December 3rd Sensory Friendly Film: The Muppets

Once a month, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities ”Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings“ – a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite “family-friendly” films in a safe and accepting environment.

The movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

To quote once again our Special Needs Parenting Expert Rosie Reeves: “It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater – they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet. When a child has special needs all these elements and many others can prove too daunting to even attempt such an outing. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children – and their caregivers, too”.

On December 3rd at 10am local time, “The Muppets” will be screened as part of the “Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings” program. Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program.

Coming January 7th: The Adventures of Tin Tin

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Editor’s note: The Muppets  is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America. Please check the IMDB Parent’s Guide for a more detailed description of The Muppets to determine if it is right for you and your child.

11 “Action Signs” Help You Identify if Your Child Needs Help

Cancer has early warning signs. In fact many childhood illnesses have signs that can be detected early, provided that you know what to look for. But what about mental health??

…How do you know if your child is in trouble?

Last Friday, the Mayo Clinic published a tool kit designed to help parents, teachers and the medical professionals identify early on when a child needs professional help. The 11 “action signs” are written in plain English and were created with the input of over 6,000 US children and parents to make sure they were simple and easy to understand.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, “confusion by parents and doctors is one reason why more than half of children with serious mental disorders go untreated, and also why healthy children are misdiagnosed with disorders they don’t have”. The problem most parents face is simple: If I don’t know what I’m looking for, how do I know when I’ve found it?

“We needed to do something to help flesh out people’s understanding about what it meant when a child really did have a problem,” said Gary Blau, a clinical psychologist with the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Put simply, as a parent you need to be able to tell the difference between normal childhood moodiness and situations that are require immediate attention. Unfortunately it’s not always easy to interpret what your child is trying to tell you.  Hopefully, these guidelines will help:

When children need help

The tool kit indicates children are at risk when they:

• Feel very sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks.
• Seriously try to harm or kill themselves, or make plans to do so.
• Experience sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart or fast breathing.
• Are involved in many fights, use a weapon, or want to badly hurt others.
• Display severe out-of-control behavior that can hurt themselves or others.
• Are not eating, shows signs of throwing up, or using laxatives to make themselves lose weight.
• Have intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities.
• Demonstrate extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still that puts you in physical danger or causes school failure.
• Repeatedly use drugs or alcohol.
• Show severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships.
• Display drastic changes in behavior or personality.

The new guidelines are endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Although Mayo researchers say that their toolkit won’t be able to identify every child with a mental health problem, they estimate that it will identify at least half of the children who have undiagnosed conditions.

And that would be a very good start.

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Reference:

• Mayo guide helps parents spot teens’ disorders – Lorna Benson, October 31, 2011
  
• Mayo Clinic list helps spot mental illnesses in kids – Jeremy Olson, October 28, 2011
• The “Action Signs” Project – Mayo Clinic Research Institute October 28, 2011
  

November 5th Sensory Friendly Film: Puss in Boots

For those of you not familiar with ”Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings“, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite “family-friendly” films in a safe and accepting environment.

The movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

To quote our Special Needs Parenting Expert Rosie Reeves: “It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater – they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet. When a child has special needs all these elements and many others can prove too daunting to even attempt such an outing. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children – and their caregivers, too”.

On November 5th at 10am local time, “Puss in Boots” will be screened as part of the “Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings” program. Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program.

Coming December 3rd: The Muppets

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Editor’s note: Puss in Boots is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America. Please check the IMDB Parent’s Guide for a more detailed description of Puss in Boots to determine if it is right for you and your child.