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| James gives his younger brother John Jr. a piggyback ride. |
GLEN MILLS, Pa.
–
Mothers make home movies for lots of happy reasons: to record
milestones, such as a baby's first steps; to share a child's smile with a
far-away relative; or just for bragging rights.
She
wondered why her 13-month-old son, Nicky, stopped looking her in the
eye, even when she was seated inches away. Why he wouldn't talk or
respond to his name. Why he constantly flapped his arms.
May
shot the movies to share her concerns with Nicky's doctor. Although she
suspected the cause of his behavior changes, she was reluctant to face
it. "I'd ask, 'Is this typical?' " she says. "We don't know what
typical is."
Indeed, nothing about May's life is typical.
All four of her sons — ages 2 to 10 — have an autism-spectrum disorder,
which impairs their abilities to communicate and socialize, and
predisposes them to repetitive behaviors, such as Nicky's arm flapping.
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