The Global Learning Series” announced today that it's launching their public awareness initiative about Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

The initiative consists of a 30 second and 1 minute public service announcement (PSA) segment shot in a classroom at an elementary school and features a little girl with Asperger Syndrome who bravely responds to the question posed by her classmates, “Is it Me?” with the statement, ”It’s Me!”

They say this campaign is designed to encourage parents and children with ASDs, "to come out and not hide their secret any longer for fear of being rejected. This may be the child who looks like everyone else but no one wants to be friends with at school, the soccer field, and even at church. "Schools and teachers should be responsible for getting their local autism group to come in and explain how to help,” said John McGuire, Executive Producer of “The Global Learning Series.”

Both segments can now be viewed in flash format on the bottom of “The Global Learning Series” website with links to information about Autism. They will air nationally on FamilyNet the week of September 29 (check “The Global Learning Series” website 24-48 hours prior to airing for exact night and time of those airings and check your cable menu for FamilyNet channel availability). The segments will also be uplinked by satellite (September 29 at 11:00 AM Eastern) for individual public television stations across the United States, to air at their discretion.

About “The Global Learning Series”

“The Global Learning Series” is long established and respected education-focused, issue-oriented and non-commercial programming, independently produced by GTS Education Inc. and distributed directly to public television stations throughout the United States and globally to VOA Television and on the worldwide web. “The Global Learning Series” strictly follows the standards and practices of public television and is distributed freely to public television stations nationwide. “The Global Learning Series” program is not affiliated with PBS. For program information, contact: info@thegloballearningseries.tv.