Behind The Scenes of Joe Aaron’s Film 'Guttersnipes' Inspired By Daughter’s Autism
Joe Aaron exudes creative energy. From the moment you meet him, you surmise this Los Angeles-based filmmaker has a real passion and Robin Williams-esque talent for the artistry of storytelling. All of this is ramped up a notch or two though when the Arkansas native speaks of his daughter, Lexie. His eyes shine a little brighter and you sense his heart swelling with emotion…with love. In his own words, Aaron tells Little Rock Special Family about his life with Lexie.
“When my wife was pregnant with Lexie, I had these dreams of how things were going to be- Lexie playing little league, going to college, giving her away, having grandkids. We thought about all of that normal stuff you think about when you’re about to have a baby.
She was seven weeks early and four and half pounds, but she recovered ok. She was a normal size as she grew. Year one and two were good, then around two and a half we realized she couldn’t do some things anymore. We thought she was ignoring us or misbehaving because she would not respond when we called her name. We had her ears checked. They were fine. We wondered why her tantrums were so violent. It didn’t seem typical. In 1994, we took her to doctors in Los Angeles…top people at UCLA. No one knew what was wrong. I remembered Dustin Hoffman’s character in “Rain Man”. That was how Lexie was behaving so we asked the experts if this could be a form of autism. They said, “No.”
We kept going, trying to help our daughter. We ended up at West Side Regional Center. There we met with a woman who diagnosed Lexie with autism in two seconds. We were happy to finally have a diagnosis, but saddened by what it was.
What did this mean? We then had to learn what life was going to be like for us and for Lexie. It’s a little like the stages of grief. It hits in waves. You realize things in layers. They are the “Oh yeah, I’m not going to have that” moments.
We began learning the language of autism-how to talk and listen to her. You don’t raise a child with autism. You manage them. You have to interpret what you get from them. For instance you don’t really hug an autistic kid or expect a hug in return. You might feel rejected but you have to get yourself out of the way.
'Guttersnipes' addresses metaphorically what we went through in learning how to relate. Lexie likes to touch your ear and hair. That is her hug.
The outside has no idea, because you can’t reason with an autistic kid. You can’t discipline the autistic behavior out of a child. We had to be patient with our daughter, but also with our friends who didn’t understand everything that goes along with raising an autistic child. Understanding leads to an amount of compassion. Dealing with other parents who mistakenly judge you is one of the hardest things. Your heart’s broken and you’re doing the best you can. If you are friends with someone who has a child with a special need, the best thing you can do is be there for them, and maybe babysit every once in a while to give them a break.
Although I would pay any amount of money for a pill that could cure autism, Lexie does not have that sense of lack other people have. It’s a humbling thing. We call her “The Buddha” because her natural state is happy. So, why would we want to “fix” that? She likes to make people laugh. She can’t carry on a conversation, but she can sing. She wants to connect with people. It’s just that the conceptual things are hard to explain. Things have to be more concrete for Lexie.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve learned you have to be hypervigilent and ready for anything. Parenting an autistic child is like improv.”
“Guttersnipes” depicts the relationship between a homeless teenage girl and an abandoned 12-year-old autistic girl on a quest to find their mothers. The film explores themes in race relations, autism awareness and female empowerment.
Los Angeles-based filmmaker and directing alumnus of the American Film Institute Shuchi Talati is directing Guttersnipes in a yet-to-be-determined location in Arkansas. For more information or to make donations to the production project, find Guttersnipes at Facebook.com/Guttersnipesfilm or GuttersnipesFilm.com. “Guttersnipes” is being funded in part by Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform for creative projects. “Kickstarter is so important to the independent film movement,” Aaron says. “By using Kickstarter, and with the help of the community, my film will remain mine, family-friendly, and shot in my home state.”
An Arkansas native, Aaron is a Harding University alum and a graduate of the American Film Institute. He is best known for his work as co-creator of the popular Disney animated series “Doug”. Aaron worked in television production for many years, including a stint at the Children’s Television Workshop and as an on-air promotion writer and producer for HBO, Cinemax, Comedy Central and E!.
Co-author of the children’s book Doug’s Big Shoe Disaster, Aaron is also writer, producer and director of the feature film “Crazy Jones” – winner of numerous awards including Audience Choice Best Feature at Cinequest International Film Festival. He is featured in two documentaries: “Dreams on Spec” and “Autism the Musical”.