I have heard from dozens of
parents of autistic kids who were thankful for my inclusion of those characters and for the accuracy of the portrayal.
Alex performs for food treats and attention, but children seem motivated primarily by the ability to belong to a group, a surprise to observers who
think of autistic kids as being solipsistic.
Although traditional team sports often are not a good fit for children with autism, individual athletic activities can build the skills and
confidence of autistic kids, according to Dr. Anthony G. Alessi, chief of neurology at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, and a physician in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics, LLC, in Norwich.
Data published in a scientific journal called Pediatrics indicated that
moms of autistic kids were 5 times more likely to report having a good relationship with their children than moms of children with other learning disabilities.
The parents
of autistic kids I know have them in day - long therapy, speech class, tactile class, etcetera, etcetera.
And intriguingly the parents
of autistic kids were largely dependent on reading the emotions on others faces via their mouths and not their eyes, as is the case with most people who are not afflicted with the condition.