My son Samuel is a Red Sox and NASCAR fan, an avid bird watcher, an honor roll student and a gregarious 13-year old who also experiences cerebral palsy.
I began making my first film, Including Samuel, for selfish reasons. I wanted to try and make the world a more welcoming place for kids with disabilities like Samuel.
As I took Including Samuel documentary nationwide, however, I noticed a trend: at almost every screening, someone would pose this question in some form: "What about kids with 'hidden' disabilities? Can they be fully included like Samuel?" These hidden disabilities can include depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and a host of other diagnoses.
My background is in journalism. It was obvious that this was a pressing issue that could make a powerful film project. As I honed in on Emotional and Behavioral Disturbances (EBD), an umbrella diagnosis that can cover a range of problems from depression and anxiety to atypical communication patterns to aggression and impulsivity, I was shocked by the statistics. The Southern Poverty Law Center and The Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders report that students with EBD:
- Have the worst graduation rate of all students with disabilities. Nationally, fewer than 50 percent of
