I am the mother of three children, one of which is autistic. His name is Jason and he is 14 years old. I see stories about autistic children on t.v. and can't help but think of how different things were in our family just a few years ago. Everywhere we went people would say, "He is so cute!" especially when they found out he was autistic. There almost was a certain appeal to little children with this disability by the public. Looking back, I think this sympathy helped us to accept our situation better. Unfortunately, as these children grow up, public sympathy and interest goes down. Challanging behaviors which were once seen as cute are now considered to be possible public safety issues. I felt so alone when Jason finished elementary school.  I mourned over the loss of the little boy I use to carry around. We tried the summer program in the sixth grade special education classes to no avail. I was told by the school that my son was not suitable for their program. Fortunately, a program was developed to fit Jason's needs. Now his can learn at his own pace within his own space. This program only has room for 4 children. I urge parents of young autistic children to always be thinking of the future and what options are out there for these kids. You may find there are no options, so it is up to us parents to make sure programs are in place for our kids when they finish elementary school. I am happy to report now that my son is doing extremely well at school and at home. Today Jason looks like a typical teen tall and muscular with facial hair just starting to appear, and a very, very deep voice. You would never know that he plays with little kid toys and is hooked on cartoons!