The edges of Cameron’s lips rise undeniably toward the clear blue sky. His legs move methodically. One motionless on the scooter and the other periodically kicking to propel himself forward. He weaves in and out dodging my shadow as I jog beside him.

I struggle to keep pace. My breathing unsteady and labored. My joints aching. And my brain foggy from lack of sleep and replaying the events of the day.

***

The hospital was uncharacteristically quiet. Even for 5am. My eyes fluttered with fatigue as I willed my mind to focus after two nights of countless interruptions. I felt no joy in this early morning excursion.

The room was lit by a small lamp. A woman in her forties sat with a young child curled on her lap. A boy, Cameron’s age. My eyes adjusted to the absence of light.

The middle aged man lying on the bed looked far older then reality. He took deep irregular breaths. Each pause a question. His wife held his hand gingerly. I inhaled the seen cautiously. I couldn’t help but think of my dad. Were his last moments like this?

The woman dabbed her eyes with a tissue. She tried to move slowly to avoid waking up the [...] continue the story

Disability is only in the mind and anything can be achieved through determination, self-motivation and commitment. When a “Mongolian” baby was born in Chuttur’s family, the entire life of mother gets focused around this child. She nurtured and raised him to stand along with normal kids. Observing the efforts and patience of the wife, Subhash Chuttur started experimenting with mentally challenged, employing them for simple jobs. One by one, the number of these experiences increased and so also did the confidence of Subhash Chuttur. Today he does not stop at that, but takes every opportunity to convince others to employ such persons. This film sends a message, how such specially-able persons can be integrated within society. More importantly, it also conveys a need for change in attitudes toward the disabled people in society.

Alex, Kirsten, and Jack are back together in Orlando, Florida for the Autism Society Conference. We had a blast at the conference and filmed a TON of AMAZING videos!

Kirsten talks with Dena Gassner about the special challenges that come with being a woman on the spectrum.

Alex and Dr. Robert Naseef gave a talk about fatherhood at the ASA conference. They talk about the uniqueness of the relationship between a father and an individual on the autism spectrum.

Jack and Alex talk with Claire Dumke about executive functioning. This involves learning to drive, keeping track of things, and other great info.

This is the first of 4 episodes that take place at the conference. This is also the first of our new multipart episodes.

(Autism Talk TV – Ep. 16)