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system to work with him weekly. He became more at ease with the other four-year olds and liked his teacher. Nap time, or rest time continued to be his least favorite hour of the day. All in all, our hats are off to his teacher “Miss Amy” for her very acute judgment. The early detection of autism is essential to create the path for growth toward a productive life. In his position as head coach for the Liberty High School’s basketball team, Mark had begun to see an improvement in the team’s performance. Keaton and his mother attended every home game. He developed a real attachment for sports, especially basketball; which is still evident today. When the Liberty High School basketball team won a state championship, Mark held Keaton in his arms as he cut down the net. This was a great event to witness. The state championship victories were high times for Keaton, for the family, and for the community of Bedford. During the second half of Keaton’s pre-school, a very important event occurred: his brother was born. He was named Gavin Christian Hanks, and was to have a strong impact on Keaton’s life. The Mark Hanks’ family was complete!

Note: The Towns and Cities identified in this story are located in the State of Virginia, unless marked otherwise.

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