By Lori Berkey, Contributing Writer
Northborough – Last year Tiffany Kline was thinking about ways to help young adults on the autism spectrum gain field experience in understanding the social nuances of the workplace. She came up with the idea of making a movie and using the set of the movie as a work setting. Her idea evolved into a real film being crafted by the Friendship Network for Children, where she is the service coordinator. The production, based on a story written by a teenager with autism, recently gained acceptance into the 2016 Boston International Film Festival. “The Elevator,” will premiere April 16.
Kline works alongside Nancy Swanberg, the Northborough-based nonprofit agency’s founder and executive director, to offer an array of services aimed at success for those on the autism spectrum.
With April being Autism Awareness Month, the timing of the film’s debut ties in well with the film’s overarching message.
“We really want to show that people [on the autism spectrum] have something to offer,” Swanberg said, adding that David Witt, the storyline author, is a good writer. “So we want to show the real strengths and abilities. We don’t want pity.”
According to Swanberg, Witt wrote a story wherein the main character has high functioning autism. The character’s traits are very subtle, so his diagnosis isn’t necessarily apparent.
“So the point of it is something that’s even bigger than that,” Swanberg said. “There are a lot of life lessons in the movie.”
Kline shows up as an extra in the movie.
The Friendship Network for Children recently began offering a new in-home counseling program for people on the autism spectrum. One aim of the service is to help clients develop independent living skills. Although most people utilizing the service are age 18-25, the option is available for all ages.
According to Swanberg, whereas neuro-typical people generally pick up social aspects of independent living while growing up, the lack of specific instructions for such things as knowing when to go to the grocery store, when to get money out of the bank, when to go to the doctor, or how to practice good hygiene, make it hard for people on the autism spectrum – who often miss social cues – to know what to do.
As another piece of helping people learn independent living skills, the agency also has upcoming plans to offer job coaching services. Friendship Network staff would accompany clients to their workplace and assist them in acclimating to the social expectations and requirements.
Swanberg is pleased about how the film turned out and is planning to use it for training purposes, to educate the public about autism. After the film festival debut, the Friendship Network plans to offer a public showing of “The Elevator” locally.
Due to the success of the film in being selected out of approximately 3,000 applications for entry into the film festival, Swanberg said the Friendship Network is already planning to produce a second movie. The next one is slated to be a comedy wherein the lead character will not have autism but will be portrayed by an actor with autism.
For more information about the Friendship Network for Children’s services, visit www.networkforchildren.org. To check out the festival movie page for “The Elevator,” visit www.bostoniff.org/portfolio-view/the-elevator/.
