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It was at some point between Keaton’s second and third birthdays that Mark and I began to feel uneasy about Keaton. His lack of social interaction and his stilted voice tones were different than those of his cousins and of other children near his age. We could not explain our anxieties, and if others had doubts, they did not share them with us. Keaton was fearful of butterflies but not of crawling insects. Any change in plans or his schedule resulted in an outburst of anger or crying. He lacked motor skills to swing himself by pumping his legs. The first traumatic experience occurred when Keaton was placed in a well recommended private day school; the school was located in a church. The general public knew little about autism twenty years ago. The teachers and the principal, who was the minister, worked with Keaton to the best of their abilities. However, none of them were equipped to deal with a young child who was developing autistic traits. Keaton referred to himself as “Keaton” or “you” not as I or me. It was difficult to understand his meaning. He appeared to be very antisocial and to be indifferent to the other children. Keaton had spent the first three years of his life with his family or with a private sitter; he was most unhappy in this new situation. The surroundings were scary to him, and the conversation directed to himwas confusing. He did not interact with the other children. To make his situation worse, Anne, who was scheduled to attend the preschool with Keaton, became ill and could not begin the first week of the term. He knew none of the students or staff. Within

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