Needham Community Education

The title of the series is a quote from Samual Habib, director and star of The Ride Ahead. The Disrupters (ADHD) Forget everything you thought you knew about ADHD. ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed, widely misunderstood neurological conditions in the world today, affecting nearly 10% of kids and a rising number of adults. A growing number of innovators, entrepreneurs, CEO's, Olympic athletes, and award-winning artists find that their ADHD, when managed effectively, has played a vital role in their success. Featuring cultural icons and other celebrities with ADHD, The Disruptors debunks harmful myths about ADHD, taking an immersive look at our approach to ADHD via a number of families who navigate the challenges and triumphs of living with ADHD. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion to explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth. Website: https://disruptorsfilm.com/ Trailer:https://tinyurl.com/5n6c8y5e. About the Series Join us for four evenings of heartfelt films that capture the humor, tenderness, and grit of young people as they navigate learning and relationships--proving that disabilities don’t define potential. Envisioned by the people they profile or their families, these stories break stereotypes and challenge us to reimagine inclusion. Following each film, a panel of Needham leaders, people with disabilities, and other stakeholders will explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth in Needham where 18% of the students receive special education services in our schools. Together, we’ll watch, laugh, reflect, and be inspired to build a community where everyone belongs. Register for each event separately.

The title of the series is a quote from Samual Habib, director and star of The Ride Ahead. The Ride Ahead (Mobility and Communication Impairment) Samuel Habib’s goals are pretty typical for a 21-year-old. Moving out of his family’s New Hampshire home. College. Establishing his career. Dating. Sex. Yet every rite of passage is fraught with challenges. Unexpected seizures and uncontrollable movements caused by his rare genetic disorder. Friends’ homes that are inaccessible to his wheelchair. His labored speech and use of a communication device are barriers to a social life. He craves more independence and a family of his own one day. “But no one tells you how to be an adult,” he says, “let alone an adult with a disability.” Samuel is determined to avoid the statistical realities: unemployment, isolation, institutionalization. A turning point comes when he starts talking to disabled adults, who have been through all he is going through now. And when he begins to channel their insights, a roadmap for himself, and for other young adults like him, begins to take shape. THE RIDE AHEAD illustrates the compelling power of one person truly determined to live life on his own terms as he navigates the barriers before him, while energizing those around him. Together with a loving family and a community of friends, Samuel pushes forth his life’s “ride ahead.” Following the film, there will be a panel discussion to explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth. Website: https://www.rideaheadfilm.com/ Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/49x68chk. About the Series Join us for four evenings of heartfelt films that capture the humor, tenderness, and grit of young people as they navigate learning and relationships--proving that disabilities don’t define potential. Envisioned by the people they profile or their families, these stories break stereotypes and challenge us to reimagine inclusion. Following each film, a panel of Needham leaders, people with disabilities, and other stakeholders will explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth in Needham where 18% of the students receive special education services in our schools. Together, we’ll watch, laugh, reflect, and be inspired to build a community where everyone belongs. Register for each event separately.

The title of the series is a quote from Samual Habib, director and star of The Ride Ahead. In A Different Key (Autism) A mother tracks down the first person diagnosed with autism, now an elderly man in rural Mississippi, to learn if his life story holds promise for her own autistic son. Her journey exposes a startling record of cruelty and kindness alike, framed by forces like race, money, and privilege, and leads to the hope that more of us are learning to have the backs of those who are 'different.' Following the film, there will be a panel discussion to explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth. Website: https://www.inadifferentkeythemovie.com/ Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/2p8nfahf About the Series Join us for four evenings of heartfelt films that capture the humor, tenderness, and grit of young people as they navigate learning and relationships--proving that disabilities don’t define potential. Envisioned by the people they profile or their families, these stories break stereotypes and challenge us to reimagine inclusion. Following each film, a panel of Needham leaders, people with disabilities, and other stakeholders will explore how topics raised in the films affect or influence the experiences of youth in Needham where 18% of the students receive special education services in our schools. Together, we’ll watch, laugh, reflect, and be inspired to build a community where everyone belongs. Register for each event separately.