dianavan, I'm not trying to point fingers or blame. I just think it would be nice to prevent this condition in other kids. Daniel isn't really exactly autistic--it's just probably the best description, given a lack of diagnosis. At school he must be classified as either autistic or mentally retarded to get the services he needs. We went with retarded on the advice of his speech therapist, though it's clearly not correct. She said if he were described as autistic, the best adult programs wouldn't take him, since autistic people can often be difficult to work with. And he will definitely need to be in an adult program--he can't be left unsupervised.

Compared to some of the kids I've seen in special programs, we have no problems at all. Daniel is friendly and outgoing, and does a great many things, including performing at Renaissance faires. Just now he called me to dinner, so I'd better go.