Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Heads-up for the Low-Down An Educational Film by Robert Parish When Jack Michael Parish was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in February 1996, his family was dazed, confused and overwhelmed. Print, broadcast and Internet information about this mysterious and perplexing disorder was disjointed, contradictory and confusing.

After he emerged from his own shock, anger, sorrow and dismay, Jack’s father – award-winning broadcast journalist/filmmaker, Robert Parish – was inspired to do something that would help shatter the common myths and misinformation about ASD. Parish produced two hour-long public television documentaries about his family’s therapeutic journey with Jack – COME BACK JACK and COME BACK JACK 2002. Both have aired nationally on PBS and internationally in the UK, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Canada.

In 2002, Parish produced and began distributing a third documentary (MY SON JACK… DIAGNOSIS AUTISM), to educational organizations throughout the United States. This half-hour program explores the origins, diagnosis and treatment options for children with ASD.

In 2004, Parish created three new ASD projects. One (AUTISM…JUST A LABEL?) is an hour-long television documentary, which will air on PBS in the Spring of 2005. And two shorter, educational pieces, RISING ABOVE A DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM (27:00) and AVOIDING THE TURBULENCE… GUIDING FAMILIES OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM (14:00).

ASD…HEADS-UP FOR THE LOW-DOWN (27:00) is Parish’s fourth film in the current series. Produced to provide educators, caregivers and parents with basic information about ASD, HEADS-UP features extensive interviews with two internationally recognized experts – Arnold Miller, Ph.D., founder of the Language and Cognitive Development Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and Patricia Manning-Courtney, M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Director of the Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Original music for ASD…HEADS-UP FOR THE LOW-DOWN was composed and performed by Matthew Savage, a 12-year-old jazz pianist from Maine, who was diagnosed with ASD in 1995.

See www.comebackjack.org for more information.