Autism awareness is spreading like wildfire. Diagnoses have increased at an astounding rate. The statistic most often quoted is that 1 child in 150 has autism. As if the high rate of autism diagnoses were not worrisome enough, many doctors are not properly trained, or kept up to date, on how to detect autism at the earliest possible age. In many…

A mother of an adult son with Asperger disorder discusses his adoption, the symptoms of his disability, social problems that he encountered in school, and his placement in a psychiatric hospital. His misdiagnosis with reactive attachment disorder and the long journey to a correct diagnosis of Asperger disorder are recounted. (CR)

In this article, the mother of a son with autism shares her struggle to get a diagnosis, choose the right treatment, and face an unknown future for her son Luke, now age 5. Her worries about discrimination, neighborhood acceptance, and the effects of Luke's autism on his siblings are discussed. (CR)

In this article, a mother shares her experience of learning that her son has autism. Coping with the diagnosis, along with the stresses of family life, are discussed, including the effect of the diagnosis on her marriage, which ended in divorce. The need to persist is emphasized. (CR)

A mother writes of her early years with her son as a single parent and the difficult years with twin younger siblings when she was trying to find a diagnosis and help for her son. Her son is 9 years old now, and she reflects on her experiences. (Author/CR)