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It was at some point between Keaton’s second and
third birthdays that Mark and I began to feel uneasy
about Keaton. His lack of social interaction and his
stilted voice tones were different than those of his
cousins and of other children near his age. We could
not explain our anxieties, and if others had doubts,
they did not share them with us. Keaton was fearful
of butterflies but not of crawling insects. Any change
in plans or his schedule resulted in an outburst of
anger or crying. He lacked motor skills to swing
himself by pumping his legs.
The first traumatic experience occurred when
Keaton was placed in a well recommended private
day school; the school was located in a church. The
general public knew little about autism twenty years
ago. The teachers and the principal, who was the
minister, worked with Keaton to the best of their
abilities. However, none of them were equipped to
deal with a young child who was developing autistic
traits. Keaton referred to himself as “Keaton” or
“you” not as I or me. It was difficult to understand
his meaning. He appeared to be very antisocial and
to be indifferent to the other children.
Keaton had spent the first three years of his life
with his family or with a private sitter; he was most
unhappy in this new situation. The surroundings
were scary to him, and the conversation directed to
himwas confusing. He did not interact with the other
children. To make his situation worse, Anne, who
was scheduled to attend the preschool with Keaton,
became ill and could not begin the first week of the
term. He knew none of the students or staff. Within