Filmmaker with autism promotes inclusion

By John Sievers

“My senses always fall in love:

they spin, swoon;

they lose themselves in one

another’s arms.”

These lines are from DJ Savarese’s poem, “Swoon.” These beautiful words are written by a man, who at one time in his life, was believed by some to be incapable of thought. “Until I learned to read and write, people thought I had no mind,” explains Savarese, a non-speaking man with autism who communicates with the assistance of a text-to-voice synthesizer.

Savarese is both the subject and a producer of a documentary called Deej, which follows his dream of attending college. ...

By John Sievers

“My senses always fall in love:

they spin, swoon;

they lose themselves in one

another’s arms.”

These lines are from DJ Savarese’s poem, “Swoon.” These beautiful words are written by a man, who at one time in his life, was believed by some to be incapable of thought. “Until I learned to read and write, people thought I had no mind,” explains Savarese, a non-speaking man with autism who communicates with the assistance of a text-to-voice synthesizer.

Savarese is both the subject and a producer of a documentary called Deej, which follows his dream of attending college. ...