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A Portrait of Autism
By Richard | August 20, 2007
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author exclusively
I am a parent of an autistic 4 year old boy who currently attends the New England Center for Children in Southborough, MA.
While on vacation in Washington, DC during the 4th of July vacation week, I took this picture of my son at the Lincoln Memorial. While it wasn’t my goal in taking the picture, I think the picture wonderfully illustrates autism in way that I’ve never personally been able to do.
The words on the wall are the Gettysburg address, one of the most beautiful speeches ever written by an American citizen. If you haven’t read President Abraham Lincoln’s speech lately, please try - its words are truly moving.
Shown below the speech’s text is my son, Spencer. At 4, he has already taught himself to read and to write and is more than capable of reading the speech. Yet, notice that below these most beautiful words, my son is choosing to examine the cracks in the wall rather than the words on the wall. As the words on the wall so often describe the challenges our country faces, this picture of Spencer studying the cracks in the wall, to me, defines the challenges my son, and so many other autistic children, face.
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