MIDDLEBURY — Staff at The Counseling Service of Addison County hopes members of the public will share their excitement about several local events to take place during Autism Awareness Month. Among other activities, they will be hosting a free community movie in a sensory friendly space, with room for games and play in the back for small children.
On Sunday April 2, at 2 p.m. Town Hall Theater will screen “Off the Rails,” the remarkable true story of Darius McCollum, a man with Asperger’s syndrome whose love of transit has landed him in jail 32 times for the criminal impersonation of NYC subway drivers, conductors, bus drivers, token booth clerks, and track repairmen. Currently incarcerated at Riker’s Island, Mr. McCollum puts in sharp focus the line between benevolence and risking the public’s safety.
Immediately following the movie Megan Mayo, Applied Behavior Analysis Director at the Counseling Service of Addison County, will be available to talk about the movie, answer questions and help direct you to resources. Tickets, $12, are available through Town Hall Theater http://www.townhalltheater.org/calendar-and-tickets/
The Counseling Service’s play-based intervention space will be open for families and community members to explore on  Friday, April 7, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at 67 Catamount Park, Middlebury (off Exchange St.)
Clinical staff will be on hand to answer questions and pizza will be provided. From 4-5 p.m., Dave Thompson, BCBA and Jaime Deacon, BCBA will offering a quick overview of Asperger’s Syndrome and provide some helpful suggestions for challenges in the home.
To wrap up the month, a free showing of the family movie Moana will take place on Saturday, April 15, at 3 p.m., at 109 Catamount Park (off Exchange St.) This movie event is sensory and small-children-friendly. Come out and enjoy some family fun time!
For more information, go to www.csac-vt.org.