Read more about the journey

Imagine watching your child spin in circles, alone, on the playground while all the other children are grouped together building sandcastles and interacting on all the equipment.

The reality of having a child that was “different” hit Lori Ciccarelli when her now 18-year-old son Jeremy Brooks was a small child of 3. Brooks was diagnosed with autism shortly thereafter.

Over the years Ciccarelli has been inundated with phone calls and questions from other parents, asking for her help and advice on how to deal with, and support children with autism. After retelling her story numerous times, Ciccarelli finally decided to make a documentary about the struggles she and Jeremy have faced, and how they overcame the many challenges. The completed film is titled JJ's Journey: A Journey About Autism.

“We moved to a small town when Jeremy was 10 months old, and no one here in the educational or medical fields knew what to do with autism,” Ciccarelli said. “I told them they had better figure it out because while Jeremy may have been the first with the disorder, he certainly wasn't going to be the last.”

Ciccarelli's prediction is taking on weight as more and more cases of autism are diagnosed each year. According to studies she has read, one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism, and approximately 35 million, possibly 45 million, people in the world are living with this developmental disorder.

“I was watching CNN [on April 2, Autism World Awareness Day], and they said that autism is a national health threat, bigger than breast cancer and bigger than AIDS,” she said.

Ciccarelli's documentary takes the viewer through Jeremy's life and explains that the biggest hardship mother and son had to overcome was the intolerance of others. Children at the local schools Jeremy attended would pick on him frequently because of his differences. This harassment became so bad in high school that Jeremy chose to finish his senior year through independent study — a feat he accomplished this past February. He is now attending a local Community College.

Ciccarelli has never come forward to publicly speak about her situation, choosing to keep her private life just that. With the new documentary, which took Ciccarelli three years to complete, she and Jeremy have found new courage.

“The documentary has been a healing process for me,” Ciccarelli said. “I am finally able to talk about all of this without crying. I told myself that I wanted to help one parent through my documentary and I have: myself.”

The film delves into neuro-feedback therapy, which is the treatment that really made a difference in Jeremy's life. It has helped him learn how to be more social; how to carry on an on-point conversation with someone. The therapy has also helped Jeremy be medication free.

“My mission in all of this is to provide resources and hope,” she said.

For more information, contact Lori at lori.cicc@verizon.net.