Word: betters
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That was the first of half a dozen residential placements for Noah. Some were better than others, but none of them was a place you would want to put your own child...
...current global financial crisis. But there is no doubt that the macroeconomic picture is solid and healthy. Over the next five years Saudi Arabia has outlined a $400 billion spending program. In a decade or thereabouts, Saudi Arabia will become a $1 trillion economy and will be better placed than the rest in the region to capitalize on its knowledge and strengths. During the boom years, some critics said Saudi Arabia should become more like Dubai. Now the rest of the region might want to become a bit more like Saudi Arabia...
...functioning autistics like Noah will require intensive support throughout their lives. If recent estimates of prevalence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are accurate, then 1 in 150 of today's children is autistic. That means we are in for a vast number of adult autistics - most better adjusted than Noah, some as bad off - who will be a burden to parents, siblings and, eventually, society...
...representatives in domed capitols, is too often a code word for budget-cutting. The concept of moving the autistic into loving group homes where they will be taught or looked after is Edenic but inadequate to society's needs. For the high-functioning, such assisted-living situations are a better alternative than institutionalization; for the low-functioning, the concept is often better than the reality. What happens if the supported-living home we find for Noah goes belly-up or loses its license or is just plain corrupt? Then where would Noah go? My parents simply can't care...
...hugs and cries. We hunger for that uplifting journey, as opposed to the cruel odyssey I had to tell. What did I have to offer? My adult brother, still autistic, still nonverbal, still lost. As much as I hope that all the autistic boys and girls will get better, and as much as I can encourage their families to fight with all the hope they have, I also know that they will not all recover. The boy or girl will grow up, and there won't be a miracle; instead there will be an effort, something like what my family...