Both Dave and his son were diagnosed for autism at TEACCH, a division of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The renowned autism researcher and director of that center, Dr. Eric Schopler, recently passed away.

In an era when parents were blamed for causing what was felt to be a psychological problem, Eric was one of the first to use research to establish the neurological basis of autism and its effective treatment -- treatment that included parents not as the problem, but as the solution, effective co-therapists. His methods have been studied and adopted by autism programs around the world.

• Explore Dave Spicer's musings on what it's like to be autistic
  
• Read some of Dave Spicer's poetry
  
• Find out more about the TEACCH methods
  
• Find out more about autism
  
• Dave recommends this site on autism
  
• Want to explain autism to children? This children's book might help
  
• Read Dave's thoughts on his interview with Dick Gordon for The Story

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