By Erik Lindhorst
Director of Autistic Like: Graham's Story
Autistic Like: Graham's Story
www.autisticlike.com
Screenings

Four years ago my little guy, Graham, was diagnosed with autism.  But in the same breath that the psychologists and doctors uttered that word, they seemed somewhat unsure of themselves:  “Well, he’s autistic-like. But really too young to formally diagnose.  Get on it early and perhaps he won’t be later.”  This waffling quasi- diagnosis was contradicted by what I read on the Internet. Poring over the online literature, I read that what my son had was definitive, lifelong and incurable.  For the next three years I found myself caught between wanting to do away with labels altogether, and just wanting a better label – one that was more specific and more hopeful; a label that pointed clearly to appropriate treatment and helped me access it. 

Along the way, I have met family after family going through the same thing – families blessed that their child is mildly enough affected to cause confusion, but saddled with finding good answers amid conflicting directives, as these children are challenged enough to make the stakes for failure ominous.

I didn’t so much decide to make a film about our experiences, as begin to notice that I was making one.  Initially, I was staggered by Graham’s diagnosis, and I put down the camera I’d picked up as a giddy new dad. Family photography seemed inappropriate. But at some point, I picked the camera back up, and unconsciously started to tell our story.

The most significant breakthrough along the way was embedded in the work of Stanley Greenspan. His theories helped me begin to make sense of Graham, and what may have derailed his development.  Dr. Greenspan’s work opened up new ideas for how to help Graham.  With the guidance of Dr. Ricki Robinson and great local team of therapists, we created a DIR®/Floortime™ program that has helped steer Graham back on the path of healthy development. 

As I say in the movie, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to help Graham – I didn’t want to stop thinking about it. I wanted to find answers, for myself and all the other families that might find themselves down this rabbit hole.  The film became a table upon which I could sort out the puzzle pieces, to fashion a kind of roadmap that I could offer to other parents.  Not a perfect map by far, just a version of the terrain I had crossed with Graham and Jennie.  Something that might provide, if not answers, then perhaps at least better questions.