Mason, 6

Mason was diagnosed with high-functioning autism.

It was hard to get emotion from him. It was hard to have to teach your kid what “I love you” means and why you say it to people. I was worried about his ability to sit in a classroom and learn. My husband and I drove by a Brain Balance center one day and we were intrigued, so we looked into it. When I started to read the book, Disconnected Kids, the relevance was clear. There were defining moments of, “That’s my son, that’s our family.”

Our experience going through the program was very rewarding. One of the most exciting moments happened when we were driving home from somewhere far. I let the kids watch a movie, and there was a sad part. Mason was sitting in the back sniffling. I looked at him and said, “Oh my goodness, are you okay?” He said, “This is so sad. Mom, something’s happening to my eyes. Like my tears are coming.” Mason was developing emotion. That was probably the most intense experience we had. Mason is in kindergarten now and on time academically. Friends come over and he’ll hug them. He’ll actually go sit down next to another child and want to show them something or share something with them. He’s doing well and thriving.