AMC Entertainment® and the Autism Society of America have teamed up
to bring families affected by autism a special opportunity to enjoy
their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly
basis. With Sensory Friendly Films, the movie auditoriums will have
their lights brought up and the sound turned down, and the
AMC "Silence is Golden" policy will not be enforced.

Three theaters in the Atlanta market have been selected to
host "Sensory Friendly Films".

AMC Phipps Plaza 14
3500 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-231-1492

AMC Discover Mills 18
5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy
L'ville, GA 30043
678-847-9265

AMC Southlake 24
7065 Mount Zion Circle
Morrow, GA 30260
770-473-0719

For tickets to this unique experience,please visit the theater's box
office the day of the event.

The next sensory friendly film is:
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
SATURDAY, MARCH 14th - 10:00am

The following article was in Sunday's Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Autistic kids free to be themselves at movies
By Jill Vejnoska
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, February 15, 2009

Eat your tubby heart out, Paul Blart, mall cop. It was Chase Morrison
who did the real boffo movie numbers a few Saturdays ago:

Four: How many times the Alpharetta 6-year-old scooted out of his
seat and up the aisle toward the lobby during a morning showing
of "Hotel for Dogs" at the AMC Phipps Plaza.

Three: Number of trips he made to the concessions stand with his
father, Chris.

One: Very good time he had, simply getting to be a kid.

"It's just fun for him," Chris Morrison said before he and Chase
watched an entire "sensory-friendly" movie with other autistic
children and their families. "You don't always think about that, but
it matters."

Indeed, pint-size Americans are endowed with certain inalienable
rights, among them life, liberty and —- perhaps most important —- the
pursuit of endless hours of watching "Shrek" and "Harry Potter" in
darkened theaters while consuming twice their weight in popcorn and
Milk Duds.

But what if the same things that make moviegoing so exciting for
kids —- cartoon pandas kung fu-ing in blazing Technicolor, that
wacky "Madagascar 2" menagerie playing it for very loud laughs —- can
prove unsettling to those with autism?

Among some of autism's more common traits are sensitivity to sound,
hyperactivity, distress when normal routines are changed, and a
tendency to repeat words or phrases.

Not exactly conducive to sitting quietly through, say, "Hotel for
Dogs" for more than 90 minutes in a crowded multiplex.

"My son loves to go to the movies, and at the end he has to sing to
all the credits," said Heidi Fernandez, a Woodstock mother of an
autistic 14-year-old, who knows of families that can't take their
children to movies for fear of being asked to leave. "That's why this
is an amazing resource."

"This" is a recently launched effort to show first-run movies
in "sensory-friendly" form at select AMC theaters. The lights are
turned up, the sound is turned down, and ads, coming attractions and
AMC's "Silence Is Golden" policy all get the old heave-ho.

That's why, on this particular Saturday, Chase was free to let out a
delighted "A-Ha-HA!" not long after the movie featuring a four-legged
troupe straight out of Cuddly K-9 Central Casting had begun.

"In a normal theater, that would get a bunch of `Shhhshes,' " said
Chris, who'd purposely sat on the aisle so his son could "escape"
when necessary. "But here, nothing."

Two weeks earlier, they'd tried and failed to make it all the way
through "The Tale of Despereaux." But that was at a regular showing,
which Chris and his wife, Beth, had decided to give a try after
seeing how much Chase enjoyed one of the first sensory-friendly films
at Phipps.

"It was too dark and loud for him," said Chris, a manufacturer's rep
for a ceiling fan company. "He was getting up a lot. And he just
started laughing at an inappropriate time."

But on this day, there were no inappropriate times to laugh —- or do
anything else. Some children hummed softly or repeated favorite words
or phrases, while others occasionally drummed the floor with their
feet. One little girl rocked back and forth on her mother's knee, her
hands pressed tightly over her ears while her eyes never left the
screen. A boy clutching a plastic sword raced up the aisle and back
again.

For a newcomer, it wasn't much more distracting than sitting in a
theater full of grownups who "forget" to turn off their cellphones or
start whispering about where to go eat halfway through the movie. For
the parents and other adults in the audience, the relief at not
having to explain their children's behavior to anyone was obvious.

"It's more relaxing for us," said Chris, who wishes more companies
would make similar accommodations for autistic and special needs
children. "Frankly, this is a very good business decision. On Sundays
when my parents watch the kids, my wife and I are going to go to an
AMC theater over any other [chain] because of what they've done for
us."

Still, business seemed the furthest thing from his mind as he and his
son watched a sweetly silly kids' movie together from start to
finish —- albeit with a few brief "escapes." Returning from one such
trip to the lobby, Chase spied his seat and dove for it, an ear-to-
ear grin spreading across his face. His father handed him a frozen
Edy's Fruit Bar, his second of the day.

"He wins," Chris laughed, watching Chase's eyes dart between the
pooches on screen and the treat in his hand. "There's a fine line
between discipline and just letting him enjoy himself.

"Today, enjoyment wins."

NEXT SHOWING
The next sensory-friendly screening at three area AMC theaters
is "Race to Witch Mountain." It is scheduled for 10 a.m. March 14 at
Phipps Plaza, Discover Mills 18 and Southlake 24. Information:
www.autism-society.org or www.asaga.com

"Milestones" covers significant events and times in the lives of
metro Atlantans. Big or small, hugely celebrated or known only to a
few —- tell us of a milestone we should write about at:
jvejnoska@... or mail it to Milestones, c/o Jill Vejnoska, 72
Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30303. Please include your phone number
and/or e-mail address.

--
Cindy Pike
Executive Director
Autism Society of America
Greater Georgia Chapter
www.asaga.com