Living with Autism
Dan Collison of NPR has produced a beautiful series about what it's like for families with autistic children. "The Autism Chronicles" profiles single mother Amy Thompson as she struggles to raise two children, including 6-year-old Kollin, who has just been diagnosed with autism. Collison shadows Thompson as she tries to help Kollin complete everyday tasks, sings and prays with him, grows frustrated with a pediatrician who offers little help, joins a support group that gives her some reassurance, and worries about how she'll pay for visits with a specialist. As Thompson says, "It's a very overwhelming feeling." I like how Collison lets the people in his story explain and react to what is happening while interspersing their voices with the natural sounds of activity in Kollin's and his mother's lives. www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94463578