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Amy’s Point Of View
The few days of drama surrounding Billy’s arrival raised tension in our home. Once he was settled, that quickly eased. Watching Diana scoop the tiny boy into her loving arms felt good, and being part of his rescue felt good. I rested on a nearby sofa, stroking my baby bump, observing another of Frank and Diana’s regular crisis conversations while Billy slept or wrote in his notebook.
While Diana drilled down to the reasons Billy wasn’t properly understood, Frank looked uneasy.
“I don’t understand how Billy hid himself, even from you, Frank.”
“We thought the autism component of Billy’s condition caused a more extreme withdrawal than was the case. We missed it, and I am sorry for that.”
“Are you saying he isn’t autistic?”
“Only fifty percent of savants are also autistic, and Billy is one of those. His autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can greatly impact a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. Our genius acted worse than he was to protect himself from a world he didn’t like.”
“Do you mean his home life?”
“Yes… exactly. It’s my only conclusion, Diana. You have opened a door for Billy into a world he can accept.”