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we had discussed from one time to the next. I went
to UVA for two years every three to four weeks and
would get back to school because I wanted perfect
attendance. I soon changed to another psychologist
in Staunton, Virginia. She said that the reason that I
was autistic was due to being delivered with forceps. I
saw this psychologist for a year and then I quit going
to see her because I moved.
I moved to Pulaski, Virginia in fifth grade because
my dad accepted the head basketball coach’s job at
Pulaski County High School. I felt like I was much
more accepted in Pulaski than I had been anywhere
else because my grandparents, my uncle, my aunt,
and my cousins all lived in Pulaski. I joined a social
skills group at Radford University in Radford,
Virginia. We met weekly for two hours to practice
many social skills like taking turns, holding the door
for others, and many other situations. I still keep in
touch with two of the children from my social skills
group and sometimes I run into them while I am out
in the community. The professor in charge of the
group suggested a gluten free diet might help reduce
some autistic characteristics. We tried this for a few
months, but it did not help me. A local news channel
interviewed the professor, my parents, and me at
Radford University after group one time. He was a
sports reporter who knew my dad through coaching
basketball. All of the interviews were replayed on
T.V. on the local news station under the heading
Hometown Hoops. The sports reporter and I became
good friends.