Letters to the Magazine

The focus of your autism article could not have been more in tune with what special-needs families face today. My parents' and my greatest fear is what my 18-year-old sister with Down syndrome will do when she's no longer eligible for schooling. Learning, homework and other activities have been a positive force throughout her life, and she's grown accustomed to daily routines of being challenged to grow mentally and socially in a specialized academic environment. Whether our loved ones have Down syndrome, autism, mental retardation or simply learning disabilities, our families have the same concerns and wants for these children: personal happiness and self-worth. Reading about families banding together to face daily issues on a local and regional level is uplifting and reassuring. But we are in dire need of government funding to implement working solutions in our communities. It breaks my heart to read about elderly parents wondering what will happen to their disabled children when they pass.

Bethany Cortese

Boston, Mass.

I want families of autistic children to have hope for the future. It's all their children have. My 35-year-old daughter couldn't say a three-syllable word by the time she was 18. When we retired, we moved to a house where there were sidewalks and a grocery store on the same side of the street. Robin got a job bagging groceries, and my husband became her "job coach." Saying "paper or plastic" was our goal. We started treating Robin like an adult, and slowly but surely she made progress. She has continued to improve with diet, vitamins and language therapy. Today she is in her own condo, is a cashier at the same store, drives to work in her own car and sings in her church choir. She comes to our house for dinner nightly, and I closely monitor her success. She is proud of her accomplishments and likes being independent in her own space. I never dared dream such success for her!

Ann Millan

Clearwater, Fla.