Marcus is 3-1/2 years old and a lot like other boys his age. He likes to run and jump and play with balls and matchbox cars and has a smile that lights up his whole face. Since birth, he seemed to be reaching all the typical developmental milestones for his age. He walked on his first birthday, was a wiz with the shape sorter toy and had a few words in his vocabulary, until he was about nineteen months old.

Then what few words Marcus had stopped and he became very quiet. He usually played alone. He would stand in front of the television and watch a thirty-minute cartoon video straight through without moving his eyes off the screen. He would not notice when someone entered the room with him. He would somehow find a way to make any toy he played with spin. He liked to line up his cars and trucks in a special row. He did not like to be interrupted if he was playing with a special toy or watching a video. Since he did not talk anymore, he would express his objection by screaming and crying. This new behavior was very hard for Marcus and his family.

They turned to Holly Ridge Center, and the Infant Toddler Program was able to get Marcus started right away in a preschool program and speech therapy. Marcus was evaluated by the child psychologist and developmental pediatrician at Holly Ridge Center who gave him the diagnosis of Autism.