Monthly Archives: June 2012

When my sister, Leslie, was born in 1950 there was no such thing as autism. Back then she was “mentally retarded.” She was born with a few physical defects as well, not major, but you could tell she was different. Leslie played with all of the other kids in the neighborhood and was their relative equal until sixth grade or so when her differences began to become more apparent.

Although Leslie is my only sibling, I grew up mostly as an only child. In her teen years and well into her young adulthood my parents had Leslie in a variety of special schools. read more