I want to say that my son, who is now 25, wants to inspire others like him. We had a long hard road but we never gave up. He was in Special Ed prescool and stayed in SE until high school. Autism was rarely diagnosed and frequently misunderstood. When he was 2 some doctors at the SC Medical University told me that he was autistic and that I should commit him to an institution because he would never do these things: dress himself, feed himself, go to public schools, drive a car or have any kind of life!! I was outraged and determined from that day on to prove they were wrong. He had plenty of behavior problems and the only thing they would do was lock him up in psychiatric facilities. Things settled down around 14. He graduated high school with all the neccesary credits - he did NOT want a "gimme diploma" (that he felt he did not earn). He struggled with jobs as an adult but he did earn his license as a Nail Technician and likes what he does. He also recently got another job stocking shelves. He pushes himself out of his comfort zone in order to grow. When he goes to the salon he tells himself he is an actor in a play and the salon is his stage (so he can cope). He doesn't have a lot of friends but the ones he has are meaningful. He has dated. He drives a car. And yes, he feeds and dresses himselft! He has never met any other autistic individuals.The one thing he always believes: "All things are possible!!".

Elizabeth
Dewey, AZ