Advertisement

Living with autism

Autism can be difficult to understand and diagnose. People affected by the disorder talk about their day-to-day lives.

Share via

Autism can be difficult to understand and diagnose. People affected by the disorder talk about their day-to-day lives.

Autism can be difficult to understand and diagnose. People affected by the disorder talk about their day-to-day lives.

Series: Discovering autism | Interactive: Diagnosing autism | Timeline: Key moments

Ean Bezemer, 10

Ean has a history of behavior problems and social difficulties. His mother, Pam, says: "He is a little boy who is loved very much by his family. And he has a lot of difficulty, especially in the social area."

Play slideshow

Jonah Funk, 13

His mother, Stacie Funk, says: "Jonah looks like a big teddy bear. You see him doing some of his behaviors, but underneath that he is such a sweet kid. ... There is an innocence about him that is pretty amazing."

Play slideshow

Samantha Staszower, 8

Her father, Steve, says Samantha's autism puts her at a disadvantage. "She can't write the same as other kids. The physical dexterity is not there. She is not that aware of what the world is about."

Play slideshow

Joseph Gutierrez, 13

Until a few years ago, his mother, Maria, had never heard of autism. She thought her son had mental retardation. Then a cousin heard a celebrity talk about autism on TV and suggested that might be Joseph's true diagnosis.

Play slideshow

Justin Marroquin, 8

His mother, Laura, says: "Autism in Justin today is a victory story -- a life testament about what he has overcome. ... We celebrate daily over Justin's recovery from autism."

Play slideshow

Jeanne Duquette, 49

Jeanne was diagnosed with autism at age 39. As a child, Jeanne was toted from specialist to specialist as her mother looked for answers to help her daughter. She was tagged with a multitude of labels as a child.

Play slideshow

Erin DuRousseau, 10

Erin has limited language skills and has been diagnosed with autism. Her mother, Precious Young, says: "I don't expect Erin to do more than what she can do, but I expect Erin to be her best."

Play slideshow

Howard McBroom, 56

McBroom didn't know he was autistic until 2003. He had spent nearly half a century not knowing why socializing was such a challenge.

Play slideshow

Jese Castillo, 11

Jese is profoundly autistic. By his mother's count, he can say only a dozen words. They include cookies, chocolate, shoes, pizza and Burger King. He said "Papa" for the first time last year, making his father cry.

Play slideshow

Credits | Photography: Francine Orr | Interactivity: Armand Emamdjomeh/@emamd, Stephanie Ferrell | Photo editing: Alan Hagman, Albert Lee, Mary Vignoles

Advertisement