Why The Toolkit
The Toolkit’s foundational content is the critically acclaimed documentary film, In A Different Key, which was based on the Pulitzer-nominated book of the same name. Broadcast on PBS, and named winner of the 2023 Robert F. Kennedy Humanitarian Prize, the film has been hailed as "a crash course" in autism, for its honest examination of autistic experience through the personal stories of real people. A limited-time series of screenings across the United States, which were sponsored by schools, universities, businesses and advocacy organizations, was proof of the film's power both to inform and inspire those who wanted to better understand the challenges faced by their relatives, friends, neighbors, workmates and classmates on the spectrum. This was the goal. Group screenings launched scores of local conversations that were honest, intimate, important and even life-changing.
”Opens wide the portals of perception of not only autistic behavior but also,
and perhaps more crucially, our society's behavior" Broadwayworld
Now the Toolkit makes this content available once again to groups everywhere -- but in a broader and more flexible way -- pairing access to the full film (via a multi-year screening license) with a unique package of shorter vignettes derived from the original film and enhanced with useful Discussion Notes. The Notes are designed to guide conversation around each of 13 important themes shedding lights on the nature of interactions between autistic and non-autistic people. The package includes a Companion Guide with FAQs, definitions and useful insights from autistic people themselves. There is also a curated guide to further reading and useful programs for those who want to go even deeper. The purpose is to offer educators maximum choice and flexibility in selecting and prioritizing the film's content.
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Whether bringing awareness to high school and college classrooms, or enhancing professional development for teaching staff, law enforcement, the health care professions or policymakers in any field, In A Different Key the Documentary Toolkit will help your organization both prompt and sustain awareness, inclusion and compassion in support of autistic individuals as friends and allies.