Ridgewood April 4, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 9 The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation and Ridgewood Community Access Network will host a free screening of Todd Drezner’s documentary film, “Loving Lampposts: Living Autistic,” on Saturday, April 7, at 1 p.m., at Ridgewood Public Library’s Belcher Auditorium, 125 North Maple Avenue in Ridgewood. This Autism Awareness Month event is being offered as a public service to increase awareness, understanding, and acceptance about Autism Spectrum Disorder. “We are presenting a free screening of this remarkable new film in order to promote community awareness and empathy for all people living with autism and their families. It is a vital part of our mission to help create a world where individuals living with autism are valued and respected for who they are, and ‘Loving Lampposts’ will inspire all who see it to look at individuals on the spectrum with new eyes,” said Linda Walder Fiddle, founder and executive director of DJF. Ridgewood Councilman Paul Aronsohn, the founder and leader of Ridgewood CAN, added, “This will be an important opportunity for our community to come together for a good film and a good cause. Through this program, and through so many other activities, The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is promoting a muchneeded conversation and a much better understanding of autism.” After his son’s autism diagnosis, filmmaker Drezner explored both sides of the ‘autism wars’ -- the “recovery movement,” which views autism as a tragic epidemic brought on by environmental toxins; and the “neurodiversity movement,” which argues that autism should be ‘Loving Lampposts’ comes to public library accepted and autistic people supported. The film asks the question: What would you call a four-year-old who caresses all the lampposts in the park? Quirky, unusual, sick? Such labels are at the center of the debate about autism: Is it a disease, a different way of being, or both? In “Loving Lampposts,” Drezner introduces the parents, doctors, therapists, and autistic people who are redefining autism. Drezner explores the changing world of autism and learns the truth of the saying, “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is an all-volunteer-run organization with a mission to develop, advocate for, and fund programs that create innovative ways for the diverse population of adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorders to participate in and contribute to community life. The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Signature Programs created and funded by the DJF Foundation can be found throughout the United States and include residential, vocational, educational, and recreational opportunities that are blueprints for replication in grassroots communities throughout the world. The Ridgewood CAN organization began as an initiative of Councilman Aronsohn to bring awareness about residents with disabilities and the issues they must deal with on a daily basis. The committee also acts as a resource for disabled residents who might need information or assistance with transportation, snow removal, A scene from “Loving Lampposts: Living Autistic.” and a multitude of other issues. For additional information about the film screening, call the library at (201) 670-5600.