Hari Srinivasan

One of Rodas' goals had been to write about autism as it appeared in “a text, in words, in language ... as a thing, as an abstract, not in body, not in person.”

The point of such journeys is not necessarily a happily ever after. But it does offer Pineda peace and clarity of thought to reevaluate his life and priorities in a different light.

Students with nonspeaking autism make up only one part of the enormous spectrum of neurodiversity that is autism. It is analogous to the

Many of these things may seem like common sense in today’s world, but, ironically, we often resort to them only when in crisis.

Underlying this popular conception of love and gift-giving is the very real phenomenon of close relationships, which require both nurture and maintenance with a dose of awareness, insight, compassion, communication and more.

In the first lecture, Pineda lost no time in frankly discussing his disability with the class. A neuromuscular condition means he has weak muscles, and needs a wheelchair for mobility and a machine to help him breathe. He needs a personal assistant with him at all times to help him with daily living tasks.

The aftermath of the unexpected is captured masterfully by director Mia Hansen-Løve in her 2009 award-winning movie “Father of My Children.” In this slice-of-life drama, Hansen-Løve examines the range of emotions surrounding the decisions taken by a struggling film producer and how his family must be expected to cope.