After working with disabled children, Pennsylvania woman decides to make documentary about autism

From the Harrisburg Patriot-News:

When most people want to learn more about a topic that interests them, they read a book, search the Internet or even take a class.

But when Jennifer Davis-Lewis decided she wanted to get more information about autism, she took her research to a whole new level.

She made a documentary.

Crisscrossing the country and recording 75 hours of interviews with almost 50 educators, researchers, and autistic children and their families, the Hershey resident wrote, directed and produced, "A Parallel Universe: A Journey Through Autism." The film examines possible causes, research, educational techniques and personal stories.

After working with special-needs children for 12 years, Davis-Lewis discovered she knew little about autism, feeling "completely lost because it was something I had never come across before."

What began as a search for answers about the disability turned into a five-year labor of love. She debuts the hour-long film April 7 at the First United Methodist Church, Hershey. The church has launched an effort to support families with autistic children and make them feel more welcome at services.

"I was baffled by the whole situation, by what makes these kids tick, by finding ways to communicate and work with them," Davis-Lewis said.

"I felt like I needed to be retrained. Here I was, 12 years working with children with special needs, fairly intelligent in the field, and I had no clue about what was going on with these children."

Davis-Lewis earned a bachelor's degree in film and initially worked as a production assistant at a local news station and video-production company. With a young son and a husband entering medical school, she resigned and began working several jobs, including teaching graphic arts at a school for disabled children.

Now with her own production company, JD Lewis Productions, and her first film in the can, Davis-Lewis' life has come full circle.

Initially, Davis-Lewis considered submitting her documentary to various film festivals, but decided it wasn't "red-carpet ready." Instead, she considers her work as a teaching tool for anyone who wants to learn more about autism.

Davis-Lewis talked to experts and families throughout the country, including Michael and Deirdre Jarman of Hershey, parents of twin autistic boys. The couple established the Vista School in Hershey for autistic children.

"The film tells the stories of how people worked through getting the diagnosis, and how they pulled together to try to make things better not just for their child, but for a number of children," she said.

Davis-Lewis also examines the controversial link between autism and children's vaccines, where she said "there's a lot of misinformation."

"I'm not a Michael Moore, slamming your head against the wall to try to make you accept my viewpoint, but I do tell the truth and point out that there are no studies showing that vaccines cause autism," she said.

"But every person I interviewed thought there was some kind of an environmental component that serves a catalyst for people who are predisposed."