On April 9, Montclair State’s Honors Edge program hosted its third film screening of the semester, “Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism,” in the College for Communication and Media Presentation Hall. The auditorium was packed with students, faculty, family, friends and staff who worked on the film.
“Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism” follows the story of two children with autism: Clay, the 12-year-old child of Rosie O’Donnell, and Caleb, a seven-year-old child with autism, as they are connected with dogs from the Guide Dogs of America after their training with inmates.
The screening was followed by a panel hosted by Montclair professor Mary Hanlon, with the executive producer Terrence Noonan, the Vice President of Operations and Strategy at Guide Dogs of America, Zachary Gittlen, Montclair State professor Alicia Broderick and Montclair professor Drew Wallace. The latter of the two co-founded the Institute for Neurodivergent Innovation at Montclair State.
Hanlon was inspired to help organize this event as a digital archivist and filmmaker.
“The people I’ve brought in are people who are colleagues, or I’ve worked with,” Hanlon said. “I mentioned this film, and we said we could do it in April, which is Autism Acceptance Month, so it became the third screening in our series.”
Hanlon also mentioned the personal importance of the film.
“I have neurodivergent people who are close to me,” Hanlon said. “We didn’t know, even growing up in my own family. So it’s just to know more about that, and to have all these tools for families, especially children, who are affected by this.”
Noonan discussed some of the process behind the film.
“I worked with Rosie O’Donnell many years ago as a producer for a talk show,” Noonan said. “My business partner and I were producers on the show, and we had lunch with her one day, and she was telling us about this dog that they had gotten, and the changes it had made in their life.”
“We decided that we wanted to help spread the word,” Noonan continued, “and what better way to spread the word than to make a documentary? We raised all the money ourselves, and we set out, and made it, and we worked with Zach, who had worked with Rosie when she got her dog, and we followed the family of Caleb, who’s in the movie.”
“Whether it’s a service dog or it’s someone’s dog at home, it really is amazing the relationship between people and their dogs, and the peace they bring,” Noonan said.
Gittlen discussed how the film helps showcase the training and work of the Guide Dogs of America, as well as their inmate dog-training program.
“A lot of times, you see a service dog in public, and you accept that it’s there,” Gittlen said. “But you never really put thought into how it got there. You’re gonna get to see all that goes into making a service dog, including our prison program, which is near and dear to my heart.”
“In this film, we cover what happens within our prison program, and that these guys aren’t just prisoners,” Gittlen said. “There are guys who believe in our mission and want to do good for the world.”
Gittlen also discussed the neurodiverse representation of the film and the impact he hopes it has on students.
“I do think that people will understand autism a little bit better, and that it’s not just a special need or a learning disability,” Gittlen said. “They’re exceptional people who are just a little bit different. And just because they have autism doesn’t make them any lesser or more than anybody else.”
Broderick expanded on this, discussing the film’s connection to her work.
“I started building the Institute [for Neurodivergent Innovation] in September of 2024,” Broderick said. “The Institute’s Vision Statement says that ‘We envision a university community and a world in which neuroinclusivity and neuroaffirmation are core values, and in which people of all neurotypes belong, thrive and are valued by the communities in which we all live and work.'”
“To enact that vision,” Broderick continued, “we engage in a range of kinds of community education initiatives, designed to help educate members of our community about the harmful effects of neurobigotry and neuronormativity, including things like recognizing and eliminating implicit bias and microaggressions against neurodivergent community members.
“Part of realizing that vision, therefore, involves things like attending events like the screening of the film, Unleashing Hope, and supporting students, staff, and other community members attending to become more critical consumers of information we’re presented with about autism and other forms of neurodivergence,” Broderick said.
Wallace added his perspective on the film and what he hopes Broderick and his work can accomplish.
“Films like ‘Unleashing Hope’ demonstrate the urgent need for autistic inclusion and leadership in all forms of media that represent autistic experiences,” Wallace said.
“The Institute for Neurodivergent Innovation at Montclair is working very hard to help create a world in which autistic kids like Clay don’t need a service animal to go to a store or restaurant because those environments (and the people encountered within them) are oriented in such a way that understands, accepts and welcomes them.”
The “Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism” screening reminded viewers to be more understanding of those with autism or other neurodivergence, showcasing the help and support a furry friend with a listening ear and caring cuddle can bring.
“Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism” is available now on Hulu.
