Triangle Elementary School Teacher Films Autism Documentary

 Production is underway on a new documentary titled “Touched by Autism”.

The documentary is the brain child of Triangle Elementary School Special Education teacher, Tori Wargo. Wargo’s short film will be based around personal interviews and will explore how members of the Hillsborough community have been “touched” from a variety of different perspectives.

The end goal for creating this film is to raise awareness and education on autism. It is Wargo’s hope that this documentary will help open discussions and education regarding autism throughout the district schools and beyond. Filming is set to begin immediately and conclude by the end of January. 

Wargo is currently looking for members of the Hillsborough community who are open to discussing, on camera, how autism has touched them individually. Parents, siblings, peers and school faculty are invited to participate. Peers and siblings will be interviewed in small groups. Faculty and parents will have the option to be interviewed in small groups or alone.

Every April,celebrates National Autism Awareness Month. In past years, teachers and staff have provided students with assemblies, classroom lessons and book readings. Wargo has played an integral part in these celebrations. Last year, she shared her book, Help Me Understand, with students at a school-wide assembly. The book, as well as an original song, was a labor of love created with the support from talented parents and staff members. Joe Dugan, a teacher, was the book’s illustrator.

If you would like to be part of “Touched by Autism”, please email Tori Wargo at vwargo@hillsborough.k12.nj.us. Please include your name and/or child’s name and age (if being filmed as a peer or sibling), position in the film (i.e., teacher, sibling, peer), and a contact phonenumber. If you would like to be filmed in a group, please include the names of the others who would like to be interviewed.