OCR Text |
Show 315 Rare Research in the Field Emily is driving me to the "special" school and as she does, she explains about her brothers. They both have autism. I am writing about the controversy surrounding this school, this special program designed specifically for children with autism. I am also writing about her brothers, in a general way. They did not receive any intervention whatsoever during their early years, she is telling me. The oldest, who does not talk, now lives in a group home. Emily frequently worries that he might be in pain or might need something and cannot express himself. "He once broke his foot and no one knew it for weeks," she is saying. The youngest speaks only when spoken to, succinctly at that, and lives with Max and Emily ever since her parents died. He would be considered by Hollywood to be a "savant," - a brother to "Rainman" - because his skill at things like math exceeds the definition of genius. I have witnessed his putting a puzzle together, wrong side up, faster than I could turn the pieces right side up. He cannot, however, drive a car or carry on a conversation. We are arriving at the school and Emily takes my wheelchair from her back seat around to my side ofthe car. Rex has not come today because I feared he would be too much of a distraction to the children. The school is in an old brick two-story building, covered in ivy, and I am hoping that the children I need to see are on the first floor. There would be no elevator here. It is rare that I go out to research a column but this is something I must see for myself before I write about it. |