Hi Wendy, A lovely story, Good Luck James.

Thank you all....he (James) was and still is a handful, as well as Jon, his little brother in the video. But now, as they are older versions of themselves....it's easier..thankfully. Bernadette, you called it, it was something of a symbolic theory of our journey for upcoming Autism parents to think about. We are "winning" - ish. But is winning symbolic as a "recovery"? No, winning for us is a continued road to "betterment"....at whatever level. And yes, we are better...for that we are thankful. Respectfully, Wendy Frye

Congratulations, James!

James radiates positive energy -- at his graduation, and in his art. His choice of vibrant colors and powerful shapes integrated with human forms have a 1960s feel, but his compelling creations are all his own. I hope his fan base spreads far and wide.

I agree that at times parents need to physically guide children through activities they initially find intimidating. Life is enhanced by learning basic skills like mounting stairs or riding elevators, or attempting recreational activities like a carousel or horseback therapy. It's gratifying when, after an initial rough exposure, one's child seeks out an activity independently and completes it with confidence and pleasure.

Resistance to certain activities is instructive. Sometimes even when those on the spectrum see their family come through an activity safely, that cognition may be outweighed by conflicting thoughts, which could be addressed in therapy or with calming neurotransmitters such as GABA. Also panic over specific places and spaces could indicate a need for visual learning and/or special glasses.

But other times our kids' apprehension is the same as anybody else's. Our ongoing challenge as medical/behavioral detectives is made easier by parent-to-parent networking. Every time I read an real life article like this, it serves as a helpful basis for comparison. My thanks to everyone who shares vignettes from their children's lives.