08/12/2026
🎬 DOCUMENTARY CASTING — AUTISTIC TEEN / YOUNG ADULT (AGES 14–19)
We're working on a documentary about autism and the very different ways it can affect individuals and their families, and I am hoping this community might help us find one of the young people whose story we would like to tell.
We are looking for an autistic teen or young adult, approximately 14–19 years old, whose autism may not always be obvious to other people. This could include someone who was diagnosed later, previously overlooked, or spent years struggling without the people around them understanding why.
We’re especially interested in meeting someone who may be verbal and able to navigate many everyday situations independently, but who finds the social world much harder than it appears from the outside.
That could be a young person who:
• struggles to make or maintain friendships
• has been misunderstood, excluded, teased, or bullied for being “different”
• finds social cues, groups, dating, school, work, or friendships difficult
• masks or works very hard to fit in socially
• may have been diagnosed later because their autism wasn't readily recognized
• appears to be doing “fine” to teachers, peers, or extended family while struggling privately
• has interests, humor, talents, dreams, and a personality they would like people to see beyond their diagnosis
We are not looking for an actor, and we are not looking for someone to portray autism a certain way. We’re looking for a real young person and family who may be comfortable sharing part of their lived experience.
The documentary is intended to be an honest and thoughtful look at autism, families, dignity, care, and what it means to truly see the individual behind a diagnosis. It is not intended to be a commercial or corporate promotional video.
Our goal is to submit the completed documentary to film festivals, with the hope of eventually pursuing distribution through a streaming platform.
For participants under 18, a parent or legal guardian would, of course, be involved throughout the process. Before anyone agrees to participate, we would have conversations about what filming involves, privacy, boundaries, and any questions or concerns the family may have.
At this stage, I’m simply hoping to connect and have a conversation. There is absolutely no obligation to participate.
If this sounds like a child you know—or perhaps a family you know—please send me a private message to [email protected] rather than sharing personal information about your child publicly in the comments.
