This is one of the first books to actually trace the lives of autistic children for over twenty-five years into adulthood. Written for parents, pediatricians, educators, and other childcare professionals, it presents the facts of their lives as witnessed by their teachers, medical professionals, social workers, parents, and in the case of one boy - themselves.This group of true case histories vividly illustrates the heterogeneity of autism with its variations, from Bill, now totally independent, to Eric, who remains nonverbal, frighteningly aggressive at times, and living at home. How and where these young adults live, what work they can do, their social lives (or lack thereof), which of their deficits have been modulated and what disabilities remain, are shown. And for six of them, their parents share their experience of raising a developmentally disabled child and groping their way through bewildering medical and educational systems while coping with frustration, anger, and sometimes, joy. Read Less