Josh

Josh, out standing in his field. (Well, okay, it's someone else's field, but he's still out standing in it.)

Josh (born 1992-12-12) is the oldest of Sandy's children still living at home. He is autistic, and currently does not use verbal communication (except apparently at school, where he is able to write and speak more or less rote responses on request).

Josh is unusually interactive for an autistic person; he smiles, gives eye contact, laughs, and plays possum sometimes when he knows he has to do something but doesn't want to; his main issue seems to be with communication. On a good day, he will hover outside the office door if he wants something; on a bad day, he will whack Benjy so Benjy will start crying and alert us that something needs attention (at which point we notice that Josh is out of juice, hasn't been fed, or whatever it may be). (We are, of course, trying to discourage this pattern.)

• Josh category with a few things in it
• Josh information for care providers (sitters)
• Josh and The System: the ongoing story of our attempts to get supportive services for Josh

Links of Convenience

• After School program
• The Arc of Durham: respite care
• The Arc of North Carolina
• The Durham Center
• local Special Olympics schedule