Jennifer Elder and Paul Collins have grappled with autism since the diagnosis of their

son Morgan in 2002. Paul, a literary historian, has traced autism hidden between the lines

of history. Jennifer has written and illustrated books for children with autism. They help us

see beyond controversies over causes and cures. They pull back a curtain on the mystery

and meaning of this place on the spectrum of what it means to be human.

I think that cuts right to the heart of both of our works, that there's a spectrum, and

that we see the world in a completely different way now. You know, it's not just Morgan.

We now see these traits running through our family and through society. I'm Chris

to tip it on being, stay with us.

One child in every 110 in the US is now diagnosed to be somewhere on the spectrum of autism,

and as awareness rises, so too do studies, treatments, and speculation about causes and

cures. For years, I looked for a different way into learning about autism and thinking

about it as part of contemporary life. I found two great teachers in Jennifer Elder and

Paul Collins. Life with their son with autism, as they tell it, has stretched their understanding

of the spectrum of what it means to be human. Jennifer, an artist, has authored books about

autism for children and families. Paul, a literary historian, has pursued glimpses of autism

across history and society before it had a name.

autism wasn't even really conceptualized or named until the early 1940s, and in fact

there was, to me, a really fascinating study done in the 1970s when a lot of mental institutions

were being shut down. Coming out, they found the majority of the patients in these places

were autistic. They've always been part of society, but I think for a long time they weren't

being diagnosed, and they were actually being hidden away, so to speak. They were being

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