Read what critics and journalists have to say about the POV film that will be streaming for free online until August 28, 2013.
Neurotypical is an unprecedented exploration of autism from the point of view of autistic people themselves. Four-year-old Violet, teenaged Nicholas and adult Paula occupy different positions on the autism spectrum, but they are all at pivotal moments in their lives. How they and the people around them work out their perceptual and behavioral differences becomes a remarkable reflection of the “neurotypical” world — the world of the non-autistic — revealing inventive adaptations on each side and an emerging critique of both what it means to be normal and what it means to be human.
“A film about autism seen from the inside outward. . . . we get a sense of varied experience, of humor and of desire. . . . The point . . . is that we are all on some sort of spectrum . . . each with a uniquely wired brain and an individual way of interpreting the world and coping with it, and each with a gift.”
— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune
“If you’re close to someone with autism (as I am), the fascinating PBS film Neurotypical is a must-see. . . . I’m going to get hold of a digital copy and show it to my son when he’s a couple of years older.”
— Andrew O’Hehir, Salon
“While so many discussions of the disorder focus on heartache, Neurotypical discusses life from the point of view of autistic people. And their take on normal, or ‘neurotypical,’ society is quite remarkable, revealing and even funny.”
— Kevin McDonough, United Feature Syndicate
“Neurotypical shatters any preconceived notions about autism and autistics. It’s a documentary that doesn’t overstep its intelligence and makes a statement without a soapbox.”
— Daniel Engelke, Film Monthly
“Of the [autism] overviews, one of the two best I’ve seen is Neurotypical. . . . giving a voice to people with the condition who see autism not as a disability but as a difference to be proud of.”
— Leslie Felperin, The Guardian
After the broadcast, you can visit the Neurotypical companion site to watch an extended video interview with director Adam Larsen, download a discussion guide and other viewing resources, view myths, facts and new research about autism, and find out what’s happened to the characters since the cameras stopped rolling. Continue the conversation during online “social” screenings with other viewers around the country.
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