Four Teens Fully Recover from Autism

Los Angeles, CA, April 25, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Four families who were told to institutionalize their autistic children years ago will be honored during the screening of a documentary about their journey to recovery. The four children featured in the documentary were all diagnosed with autism between the ages of 3 and 5, and their parents were told that the children would never be able to have meaningful relationships or even communicate with others. Today, they are teenagers who, through a treatment program with the Center for Autism & Related Disorders, have overcome the bleak prognosis to become active, successful individuals.

Ruffin, Janna, Nick and Brett participate in mainstreamed high school settings, and are exceptional students. They are involved with friends, hobbies and sports. By anyone’s standard, they are typical teenagers. All four children had a formal removal of their diagnosis, exhibiting scores in the normal range in intelligence, language and adaptive skills after treatment.

Their story is told by Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, founder of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD), the organization responsible for their treatment. She and her staff developed and administered treatment programs for each of the children using Applied Behavior Analysis techniques and documented the children’s’ stories and progress.

Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back is a true and inspiring story of four families who were given no hope, one organization which refused to give up, and four brave children who overcame the odds to achieve success. The documentary includes pre and post treatment interviews and therapy sessions.

“Many people don’t believe it is possible to recover from Autism. Our purpose in developing this film is to show that there is reason for hope. These children can learn to communicate, socialize, and play. I wanted to make sure families hear and see that,” Granpeesheh said.

Press Conference & Star Studded Premiere
7:15pm – Friday, April 25, 2008
Pacific Design Center - Lobby - Silver Screen Theater – 2nd Floor
8687 Melrose Avenue – West Hollywood, CA

Available for interviews:
• Four recovered teenagers (3 from Los Angles Area; one from Midwest) + many, many more recovered children
• The therapists who worked with the children
• Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh
• World acclaimed psychologist, Dr. Ivar Lovaas
• Lou Diamond Phillips, Director/Actor/Autism Activist

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