Caren Zucker is a television producer currently working on a six-part series on autism for the PBS NewsHour with Robert MacNeil. I've had the opportunity to work with her and this is just a wonderful holiday perspective. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

Can something that breaks your heart be a gift? For most parents working their way through their kids' Christmas lists, the question has to seem a bit odd, or besides the point. But when you're raising a child who has autism, it comes up for consideration. In fact, many of us raising kids with autism choose to see the condition as a rare sort of gift.
Not everyone, of course—because the truth is, autism in the family can sometimes make things painfully difficult. But I'm a natural optimist, a glass half-full sort of parent. I like to focus on what's good about autism: having a kid who is innocent and honest (sometimes to a fault), whose love comes without condition, and whose existence in my life has taught me the real meaning of patience.