“I really like the way you handle our sessions. You give advice with surprising depth, and I love your acceptance of whatever I’m interested in. Anything that drives me to use a program to create something seems to catch your interest… I’m really glad you made a serious issue out of my funny face obsession. While [it] is really weird, you seem to have pounded it into a reasonable concept, and that is really cool. I think you made me more open. I now know that the world’s goal is not to force you into one way of thinking… it is infinitely more variable than that. Your specific personality is I think one of the rarer variables.”
~ Patrick McGee, 25, client, Neurodivergent Media
“I greatly enjoyed having you as a teacher during high school, I will never forget the kindness and compassion you had as you motivated me, and I will especially never forget how dedicated you were to helping me succeed academically. I am very happy to report that I will be attending UC Santa Cruz. I am thrilled to attend this university in the fall for the curriculum seems very dedicated to helping people with disabilities contribute and prove that a disability doesn’t define a person. It also has a great film and media arts program. I can’t express my gratitude enough for helping me get into a good college!”
~ Garrett Lees, 18, student, Autism Social Connection
“So much to admire about the work. The thematic specificity, characterization, and technical focus (every creative element relates directly to the emotional core) are all particularly strong. Congratulations on finding ways to facilitate that level of expression and communication.”
~ Prof. Bruce Sheridan, Founder, Cinema Art + Science Dept., Columbia College, Chicago
“Allison has been a fantastic teacher and mentor to our son. She has helped develop his practical skills in film making and acting, encouraged him to produce projects from beginning to end, and allowed him to take ownership of his work – but, more importantly, she urges her students to express their ideas and views of the world through visual media and to view film making as an art form, not just the technical process of visual storytelling.”
~ Dr. Pamela LePage, Ph.D., Founder, Autism Social Connection
“Allison’s strengths include patience, collaboration, and a willingness to continue to impact students’ lives, even if their progress is very slow. Her expertise in film making is very valuable. She brings life experiences of her own, molding her teaching to fit and flow with individuals. The projects [her classes] have produced have been high quality in terms of creativity, connection, and knowledge gained through the process. Many real life situations occur that are teaching moments for the students, and Allison adapts to individuals’ disabilities with regard for their age. She cares for all her students and families, and has built great rapport with them; this fosters other connections and good flow. She has great communication skills and a great attitude, encouraging students’ efforts by caring for the process over the final product.”
~ Trang Nguyen, Program Manager, Autism Social Connection