A Different Kind of Boy

A little nine-year-old boy looks down at the gymnasium floor. The room is filled with children who like and respect him, but he has no real friends. He can barely name anyone in his class, and has trouble with the simplest things – recognizing people, pretending, and knowing when people are happy or angry or sad. Much of his life has been filled with anxiety. He is out of step with the world, which to him is mostly a whirlwind that must be actively decoded and put into order. Yet he was one of seven fourth-graders in the United States to ace the National Math Olympiad. In fifth grade he finished second in a national math talent search. That boy is autistic. He is also loving, brilliant and resilient. In this volume, his father writes about the joys, fears, frustration, exhilaration and exhaustion involved in raising his son. He writes about the impact on his family, the travails of navigating the educational system, and the lessons he has learned about life, what it means to connect with people, and how one builds a life that suits oneself.

Author Biography

Daniel Mont is the father of Alex and Simon Mont. Alex, who is autistic, is now a fully mainstreamed ninth grader. An economist specializing in disability and welfare issues by day, Daniel has been an Assistant Professor at Cornell University, a Principal Analyst for the Congressional Budget Office, and is now with the National Academy of Social Insurance. By night, he is an actor and a writer. Several of his plays have been produced in the Washington, D.C. area and in New York City. He is presently working on a novel.