Film Description

"The Teachings of Jon" is an insightful, soul-touching and funny documentary about my brother Jon, a 40-yr old man, severely and profoundly affected by Down syndrome. He has an IQ of 20, doesn't talk and earns less than $13.00 a year. Although Jon may never accomplish much in this world, he has an important purpose here... not necessarily to learn, but to teach.
 
My parent's biggest fear was that having a child with a mental disability in the family would bring everyone else down. In fact, the opposite is true. "The Teachings of Jon" shows how the "family secret" locked away in an institution for the first 7 years of his life became the family treasure, teaching my family the most important lesson of all, how to love.
 
From the opening shot, "The Teachings of Jon" offers an up close and personal, no holds-barred, no embarrassment, no shame look at what it's really like to live with someone who is severely affected by Down Syndrome. "The Teachings of Jon" is about celebrating Jon exactly as he is, and how we as a family allowed ourselves to change and grow and succeed because of him.
 
While being compelling and entertaining, "The Teachings of Jon" teaches families affected by disabilities and general audiences alike that when life gives you a devastating blow and you can't change your situation, what you can change is how you think about your situation. This inspirational story of a family's journey is about honesty and redemption, acceptance and growth that offers people hope.