Neurotypical, a new feature-length documentary directed by Asheville native, Adam Larsen, will be screened at the Fine Arts Theatre in Asheville, September 15, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

Please join us for this exciting film event, a fundraiser for the Asheville TEACCH Center. TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication related handicapped CHildren) is an evidence-based service, training, and research program for individuals of all ages and skill levels with autism spectrum disorders. Established in the early 1970s by Eric Schopler and colleagues, the TEACCH program has worked with thousands of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. TEACCH provides clinical services such as diagnostic evaluations, parent training and parent support groups, social play and recreation groups, individual counseling for higher-functioning clients, and supported employment. In addition, TEACCH conducts training nationally and internationally and provides consultation for teachers, residential care providers, and other professionals from a variety of disciplines. Research activities include psychological, educational, and biomedical studies.

Adam Larsen, cinematographer/director of Neurotypical, is the son of former TEACCH Therapist Ron Larsen and artist Linda Larsen. Justin Mah of Vancouver’s Doxa Documentary Film Festival (2011) writes:

A remarkably cinematic film that often recalls the work of Terrence Malick in its treatment of the natural world, Neurotypical possesses a deep respect for the people it profiles. Indeed, Larsen's lens finds unending fascination in his subjects while tracking them in their day-to-day lives — whether it's a guy trying to get a date, a toddler's stroll in the woods, or a ride to the local skate park that radiates pure boyish joy, each individual
navigates their own path through a world that is both bewildering and beautiful. With intelligence and care, Neurotypical carves out a more expansive idea of what it means to be human.

Tickets are $10 and proceeds will benefit the Asheville TEACCH Center Scholarship Fund. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Adam Larsen at 8:30PM.

Neurotypical documentary trailer from Adam Larsen on Vimeo.