VIDEO: MTV to Commemorate World Autism Awareness Month with Docu-Special THE BENJAMINS, 4/26

By: Apr. 02, 2014
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In observation of World Autism Awareness Month, MTV will air "True Life Presents: The Benjamins" documentary special on Saturday, April 26th at 7:00p.m. ET/PT capturing the spirit, enthusiasm and hope of Kenny and Brad Benjamin, two young adult brothers diagnosed with autism as they seek to attain greater levels of independence in their lives. During the half-hour special, viewers will meet the Benjamins, a close-knit family comprised of wonderfully supportive parents and their two autistic sons as they pursue the types of dreams sought after by all millennials - landing cool jobs, moving into their first apartment, and finding love. Despite the challenges that autism brings, the Benjamin's are striving to stand on their own as individuals and successfully lead fulfilling lives filled with joy and laughter along the way.

Through this uplifting look at the lives of the Benjamin family, viewers will learn more about the challenges and milestone successes accomplished by some of the growing population of Americans identified as autistic. Kenny and Brad are actively seeking to lead self-sufficient lives and are taking steps towards that by engaging in activities such as: preparing to obtain a drivers license, shopping for groceries, cooking their own meals and increasing their social interaction by hosting their first dinner party with invited guests that are neurotypical.

The obstacles faced by the Benjamins are increasingly becoming more common. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control, autism, a disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behavior, is now identified in one in 68 children in the U.S. an estimate 30 percent higher than findings in 2012. With infectious laughter and the unyielding encouragement from their expanding circle of support, the Benjamin family's message of acceptance and love will inspire viewers to take greater joy in the simple things in life.

"True Life Presents: The Benjamins" is executive produced by Brian Flanagan, Laura Palumbo Johnson, Matthew Ostrom and Sean Lee from Magilla Entertainment, LLC. Ricky Paull Goldin serves as executive producer with Debbi Morgan as co-executive producer for Goldline Entertainment. Dave Sirulnick and Amy Bailey serve as executive producers for MTV. Jonathan Mussman serves as executive in charge of production.

About MTV:

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy(R), Grammy(R) and Peabody(R) award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online HUB MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.



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