Posts Tagged ‘Tracy Thresher’

Mom and her son in Japan

Wretches and Jabberers Review| A Jab to the Heart

Last Saturday, Aaron and I went to see Wretches and Jabberers. The director of Aaron’s new day program at Goodwill/Easter Seals, Miss P., went with us.

The movie raised so many emotions, lessons, buried feelings and experiences I literally couldn’t write or even talk about the movie for a couple days. The movie was a Jab to my heart and my memories. Here are a few of my thoughts:

Past Experiences with FC

In 1993 wrote about our story in First Hand: Personal Accounts of Breakthroughs in Facilitated Communicating (FC) edited by Anne Donnellan and recently (2011) in Real People, Regular Lives: Autism, Communication and Quality of Life by Sally Young. That is a very long story full of joy, sorrow, despair, hope and many shattered dreams.

Current Experiences with FC

The good news is when we got home from the movie, I sat with Aaron at the computer and for the first time in probably 10 years he typed with FC (Facilitated Communication).

“I OK” “Hi Mom” –just a couple letters–but it was a start.

Even better news is Miss P. said she would invite the technology people at Easter Seals to work with Aaron and see what kind of communication system we can set up.

Because Miss P. cared enough to give up her Saturday and go with us to Wretches and Jabberers, we have a common framework to begin our time together. There is no value I can put on this. It is priceless and HOPEFUL with a capital H.

Wretches and Jabberers Movie Review

There are two moments from the movie that are keeping me up at night.

1. Tracy is advocating in the Senator’s office about his concerns that budget cuts will mean he will remain homeless and reduce his support services. He feels a “tidal wave of emotions.”

2. At the end of the visit in Japan, Miki and Naoki Higashida say goodbye to the group and get into the elevator.

Tracy the Advocate

Most self-advocates, parents and professionals can understand Tracy’s wild emotions when talking about not getting the services he needs and his fears of getting the critical support system of his facilitator and support staff cut.

Unfortunately, the US Congress announced it is cutting Medicaid by 20%–yep, rather than tax the rich they are going to cut the programs for people with disabilities, the poor and the elderly–people like Larry, Tracy and Aaron. The Arc sent this alert (click here).

The nightmares and angst Tracy felt is the same that makes me wring my hands, stay awake at night…. I join Tracy in jumping up and down in frustration.

Tracy’s chance of getting enough funding so he won’t have to be homeless is worse now than when the movie was filmed. God Bless Us All as we face these life/death cutbacks.

Miki and Naoki Get on Elevator

In Japan, Naoki was one of the young people who type with support. (See picture above.) His Mom, Miki, coordinates the support system for her son. She is his facilitator, his personal care attendant, his friend and companion, his teacher, his speech/language/communication partner and she has had little support.

In the US, at least for the present, we have IDEA and mandatory school programs. But things are different in Japan, different in many other cultures.

This heroic Mom has had to research Facilitated Communication and everything else. There weren’t a lot of professionals in the film who were helping her. She seemed to be teaching the professionals and seemed very much alone.

As the presentation was over, and Tracy, Larry and the team were getting ready to go back to the US, the Mom gathered up her son and was getting into the elevator.

She waved, she smiled, and then… there was a moment when she choked up. I’m not sure if there was an actual tear (because my tears were filling my eyes).

There was a “look” in her eye. It said, “This meeting was wonderful. I finally found people who understand. But now it’s over. They are leaving the country and Naoki and I are back to being on our own.”

Parents know that “look”

Doug Biklen, one of the producers of the film, and I were on the TASH board together. For many years, I went to the TASH conferences and met fabulous leaders, educators, researchers and other parents who were working for people with severe handicaps. Together we were changing lives. We were doing important work and the lives of people with severe intellectual disabilities were full of hope and promise of an inclusive future where people could live, work, go to school, have families and friends in their home communities.

Each year, my friends and I would sell buttons, raise money, beg, borrow, and barter our way to spend a long weekend with these experts and advocates at the conference. We were up from dawn to late at night learning everything we could–picking the brains of anyone who would listen. It was exhilarating; we would gather ideas and hope. Then the conference would be over. We would give our farewell hugs, get into the elevator, and begin the trip back to our homes and the status quo of the lives we left behind. We had to become the warriors for our children. If we didn’t do it, no one else would.

Because of what we experienced at the conference, we were different; we had new ideas and hope. But there was no one locally to hold our hands. There was no one who would stand by us and help. There was no one who even knew what we were talking about. Almost none of the professionals who had the power to make change were helping us. When we accomplished something for our children, the “researchers” would include us in their books and scholarly papers, but mostly we were abandoned to make things happen by ourselves.

I know the look in Naoli’s Mom eyes. I have seen that look in my own eyes. I have seen the look in other parent’s eyes.

Here is a short video of Larry and Tracy at the TASH conference in Denver

Conclusion

Wretches and Jabberers is a powerful movie. Be prepared to feel strong emotions. Expect to learn new things aWretches and Jabberers Movie will be shown in another 100 cities around the US. Get a ticket and let us know what you think.

Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward.
All my best,
Mary

Due to Popular Demand, Wretches and Jabberers will be seen in 100 cities:

May 12th, 2011 at 7:30PM

The first cities have been announced in our “100 Cities. One Night For Autism.” Event being held on May 12th, 2011 at 7:30pm! Be sure to check out future editions of our newsletter for specific theaters and additional cities! Here is the list, in no particular order:
Derry, NH – Bijou, OR – Annapolis, MD – Birmingham, AL – Fort Collins, CO – Athens, GA – Des Moines, IA – Moundsview, MN – Asheville, NC – Allentown, PA – Greensburg, PA – Columbia, SC – Nashville, TN – Knoxville, TN – West Jordan, UT – Midlothian, VA – Eau Claire, WI – Grand Rapids, MI – Columbus, IN – Lansdale, PA – Washington, DC – Chicago, IL – Memphis, TN – Oakdale, MN – Lincoln, NE – Pickerington, OH – Sheboygan, WI – New Berlin, WI – Rothschild, WI – East Brunswick, NJ – East Windsor, NJ – West Palm Beach, FL – Dedham, MA – Farmingdale, NY – Providence, RI – Huntsville, AL – Plainfield, IN – Baton Rouge, LA – Kalamazoo, MI – Louisville, KY – Ypsilanti, MI – Toledo, OH – McCandless, PA – Fairfax, VA – Bakersfield, CA – Honolulu, HI – Lafayette, LA – Whitter, CA – Laguna Niguel, CA – Sacramento, CA – Colorado Springs, CO – Durham, NC

RELATED POSTS:

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get in touch| Wretches and Jabberers (2)

Until Eternity| Anne McDonald

I love Aaron| I hate Autism

The Right to Communicate (2)| We are the experts

What if? | Bob Williams

Remarkable Parents and Advocates who Never Give Up

Please add your thoughts in the comments:

Do movies like this make people with autism more human? Like Tracy, have you ever felt, “a wave of emotion”?

Tracy and Larry in Japan

Wretches & Jabberers Is A Nationwide Hit!

Wretches and Jabberers is a movie about Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, two men with autism, as they embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability and intelligence while promoting the importance of presuming competence.

Wretches & Jabberers opened nationwide on April 2nd in 10 U.S. cities: New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Kansas City, KS; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Dallas, TX; Columbus, OH & Miami, FL. Six of the 10 cities SOLD OUT, while others were at near-capacity!

GREATER CINCINNATI April 16.
Wretches and Jabberers will begin at noon on Saturday April 16th at the Newport on the Levy AMC Theatre. To buy tickets for Saturday’s show or other cities click here.

Nora Jones, Carly Simon, Judy Collins and more…

If you can’t attend the movie, perhaps you can still support Autism Awareness Month and The Autism Society.Click here to BUY THE SOUNDTRACK ON ITUNES I have also heard the Soundtrack is available at Barnes and Noble Stores.

The soundtrack features 20 original songs written and produced by J. Ralph in collaboration with: Antony, Devendra Banhart, Paul Brady, Bonnie Bramlett, Vashti Bunyan, Martin Carthy, Judy Collins, Lila Downs, Vincent Gallo, David Garza, Ben Harper, Scarlett Johansson, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Leah Siegel, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, Ben Taylor & Bob Weir.

Carly Simon: The Letter

“I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get in touch”

LYRICS: The Letter

Did I tell you
Sorry it took so long
I’ve spent a lifetime
Trying to get in touch

Just wrote you a letter
For the very first time
I mailed it to you
Did it arrive

I keep a diary that no one can see
It’s got no gold key or paper at all
I filled those pages through all my ages
With all that I’ve seen and all that I’ve learned

I wrote to tell you
Today I got a dog
I named her Hazel
Just like your mom

She loves swimming around
Out there in the fog
She’s really happy
She reminds me so much of you

I keep a diary that no one can see
It’s got no gold key or paper at all
I filled those pages through all my ages
With all that I’ve seen and all that I’ve learned

Check out what people have been saying about Wretches & Jabberers:

Gerardine Wurzburg’s Wretches & Jabberers may be the best film you’ll see on a subject you probably want to avoid — although you’d be wrong about that. Yes, it’s a documentary about autism but it’s also nearly perfect in doing what an advocacy doc should do: show rather than tell, entertain rather than preach. If this is your first exposure to the world of autism, it will be an eye opener. Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

When Tracy Thresher has something to say, he uses his right index finger – and a special computer that gives voice to what he types. Hunched over the device, he begins. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap…. Autism silences the 43-year-old Vermont man. He doesn’t speak. But he has a message for the world about how people should think of people like him. So he taps it out.”To think intelligence, even if you see wacky, goofy behavior. We are simply intelligence, shown in a different way,” comes the robotic voice, broadcast out of his computer… John Curran, Associated Press

Wretches and Jabberers Explodes Myths About Autism.

The new documentary Wretches & Jabberers follows the journey of two autistic men—Larry Bissonnette, 52, an artist; Tracy Thresher, 42, an advocate—as they travel the world, attempt to banish the myths about autism, and reveal its global face. PARADE spoke to the pair behind the film—Academy-Award-winning director/producer Gerry Wurzburg and co-producer Douglas Biklen, Dean of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Joanne Chen, Parade Magazine

Wretches and Jabberers is a buddy movie, a road trip movie and a moving adventure. But this new film is different than your typical mainstream fare. The documentary stars two autistic friends and advocates who do most of their communicating through typing. The story follows Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher, as well as their assistants Pascal Cheng and Harvey Lavoy, as they travel around the world, meet other autistic people, and advocate for autism rights. John Hockenberry “The Take Away Radio Show.”

For more information about Wretches and Jabberers read The Right to Communicate Part 1

And Larry’s Blog with more of his thoughts and stories.

Summary:

I can’t wait to take Aaron to see the movie this Saturday. As an added bonus, the new Director of the Day Program for Goodwill/Easter Seals is going to go with us. I have to say, this is the first time since Aaron graduated from High School that I am hopeful Aaron will begin to communicate again with facilitated communication (FC).

I am reminded of the quote from the early days of FC:

“Not being able to speak, is not the same as not having anything to say.”

But I’m preparing myself.

Aaron has not used his communication system in over 10 years. Ever since his facilitator moved away and …. long story.

I have been so moved by Larry and Tracy, my faith in Doug Biklen, the W&J trailer, the songs from the Soundtrack and the pre-publication publicity.

Sometimes a movie, a song, a story about hope and a lifetime of endurance is so moving it can take your words away: “Being able to speak, doesn’t mean you will find the right words.” Yep, I’m one of the Jabberers.

Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward

Mary

Parts of this were quoted from the Wretches and Jabberers Newsletter: Volume 8 (April 2011)

Comment:

Please add your voice to this story:

What phrase in the song, The Letter, did you find the most powerful? Will you see the movie, buy the Soundtrack, or otherwise support Autism Awareness month? Can you imagine what not being able to speak with words must be like? Anything else you want to add?

The Right to Communicate

BACKGROUND

The world is a hostile place for people who can’t talk with words. Many people don’t listen to body language, signals or even temper tantrums. They often see “behaviors” as something to extinguish instead of a person’s desperate attempt to communicate.

Behaviors = Communication

TASH, an organization of professionals, advocates and parents, passed a resolution written by Bob Williams about the right to communicate: even if it means the person takes a longer time to give their message; uses body language or augmented devices; and especially if they need another person to help facilitate the message. Here is a link to their resolution:

The right to communicate is the means by which all other rights are realized and is, in itself, a basic human right. (TASH resolution on the Right to Communicate.)

Anne McDonald – Right to Communicate

Communication falls into the same category as food, drink and shelter – it is essential for life, and without it life becomes worthless. (Anne McDonald)

I spoke about Anne McDonald in an earlier post on Climbing Every Mountain entitled: Until Eternity: Anne McDonald. Anne was a pioneer who spent 14 years in an institution–mainly because she couldn’t communicate. Read her inspiring story: The Right to Communicate.

WRETCHES & JABBERERS is a poignant narrative directed by Academy Award winner Gerardine Wurzburg that follows two men with autism, Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, as they embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability, intelligence and communication.

Larry Bissonette is an award winning advocate and “outsider” artist. For more information on the Wretches and Jabberers official blog and examples of Larry’s written and visual art. Check out: Bissonette’s blog and biography.

About W & J name

The origin of the film title, “Wretches & Jabberers” emerged in Finland from conversations by Larry, Tracy and Antti (a friend).

As the group had lunch at a sidewalk cafe, Antti humorously declares the world is divided into “Wretches” – those with limited speech – and “Jabberers” – those who can speak freely.

The next day at the conference, Antti asks the audience to “dispel the darkness around us poor wretches. Take us for real people. Don’t sideline us.”

The video Wretches & Jabberers is about the life-sustaining power of relationships–the personal connections people make through communication. It also vividly demonstrates the power of personal assistants and communication partners.

Official Trailer of W & J

Soundtrack for W & J

About W & J Soundtrack

This limited edition CD features 20 original songs written and produced by J. Ralph in collaboration with award winning artists: Antony, Devendra Banhart, Paul Brady, Bonnie Bramlett, Vashti Bunyan, Martin Carthy, Judy Collins, Lila Downs, Vincent Gallo, David Garza, Ben Harper, Scarlett Johannson, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Leah Siegel, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, Ben Taylor and Bob Weir.

All profits from the sale of this Limited Edition Soundtrack helps promote the message of W & J. and people with autism. Click here if you are interested in purchasing the soundtrack.

Sensory Friendly Films

Some people with autism have problems going to a typical theater. Some families are reluctant to take their family member for fear they will make noise and disturb other patrons and they will be embarrassed. Based on a request from a parent, the AMC Movie theatres developed a partnership with the Autism Society to promote sensory friendly film experiences in their theatres.

AMC Sensory Friendly Films:

Auditoriums show new releases without the pre-show advertisements or movie trailers.

* The house lights in the auditorium are turned up,

* The sound turned down.

* Guests are invited to get up, dance, walk, shout and sing.

WRETCHES & JABBERERS will have the AMC Sensory Friendly Films program. For a list of locations near you as well as Larry and Tracy’s speaking schedules (click here).

“We are each an individual in our own way–not a label.”

Life is what people make it but without community it is dark and dismal. . . . The community begins with communication.”

Tracy Thresher, self-advocate and documentary film star who types and speaks to communicate (Wretches and Jabberers).

Resources:

For additional stories about people who talk in different voices and different ways visit EveryoneCommunicates.org

SPEAK UP! Add you voice in the comments.

Do you agree with Tracy that a “community begins with communication?” Are you a “Jabberer”? Will you participate in seeing the movie, buying the soundtrack, or inviting Tracy and Larry to speak?

Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward.
All my best,

Mary