Autism isn't just a bunch of misunderstood kids as some people like to make it out to be. How have I been touched by autism? My autistic son has been kind enough to give me; a busted foot, bruises, holes in the walls, onset of reclusiveness, CPS called by onlookers who don't know what is going on as my child is in the middle of a meltdown in public, anything nice or new gets broken...and the light at the end of the tunnel is merely a dead end sign on the fritz that tells me I have to turn around and try another way out of this endless tunnel of hell.

Samantha Ames
Springfield, OR