Three Grandsons

I have three children and each of them has a son with some form of autism. Quinn, the oldest, was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. He wrote two books by the time he was 14 ~ the first "Through My Eyes" was published when he was 13 and the other "Marching Out of Time" came about a year later. Quinn is very artistic and has learned to live with his "abilities". He is a senior in high school and has been accepted by the Chicago Art Institute. Jack is 8 years old and is progressing at a good rate. At first he wasn't communicating at all ~ wasn't verbal and had tremendous meltdowns ~ but the right school system and the right teachers and helpers has him talking and doing quite well. He has absolutely no patience ~ "wait' isn't in his vocabulary ~ but he is learning to live within his own realm of possibilities. Ian is 9 and non-verbal. He is smart but more "in a world of his own" than the other two. He knows how to let you know if he needs a drink of water or if he is hungry and his "melt downs" are when he can't get anyone to understand what he wants. All three of the boys are very exacting in what they do ~ Quinn had to teach himself to correct a mistake in his work and go from there instead of starting over each time ~ Jack wants his Lego projects to be exactly right and will work hours to get them just right ~ Ian lines up trucks, toys, stuffed animals in perfectly straight lines and will also coordinate them by color. He loves hugs and snuggling.
Each one is a blessing, this grandma is so proud of them.

Aneta Dillerud
Pelican Rapids, MN