In 1980, autism was a relatively rare disorder, diagnosed in one in 10,000 children in the United States. Now it is one in 150.

Autism: The Musical counters today's bleak statistics with one woman's optimistic pledge to lead a group of autistic children in defying diagnosed expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical.

Following five Los Angeles children over the course of six months, director Tricia Regan captures the struggles and triumphs of their family lives and observes how this musical production gives these performers a comfort zone in which they can explore their creative sides.

Both on and off stage, Autism: The Musical is a call-to-arms, bringing attention to a modern-day epidemic, all the while celebrating the way the human spirit can overcome any challenge.

director: Tricia Regan

Tricia Regan is an award winning director, producer, and cinematographer of documentary film and television. Her film work has been theatrically distributed and broadcast on five different continents in six different languages and includes A LEAP OF FAITH, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, and SOLDIERS PAY (2004) which she co-directed with filmmakers David O. Russell and Juan Carlos Zaldivar. For television, Ms. Regan directs, produces and shoots for ABC, Fox, NBC, MTV, VH1, Lifetime and TLC. This is Ms. Regan's first feature film cinematography credit.

www.autismthemusical.com