(NEWS CENTER) - But first: when Ron Suskind's son Owen was a toddler in the early 1990s, he was like other kids. Then, at the age of two, Owen Suskind changed dramatically.
He didn't want to sleep or eat, he cried inconsolably, and his vocabulary shrank to a single word.
He had developed autism. The only thing that gave Owen pleasure was the Disney animated movies he had always loved.
Ron Suskind tells the story of Owen's journey in his book, "Life, Animated." As Ron Suskind told Rob, the turning point in the story came when, for the first time in years, Owen had a conversation with his father -- one in which they both spoke as characters from a Disney movie.
Ron Suskind was in Maine to speak at an event sponsored by Maine Behavioral Healthcare.
Its Center for Autism & Developmental Disorders provides a range of services for families dealing with autism.
It's also involved in research into autism. You'll find more information about it here's their website:
https://mainehealth.org/maine-behavioral-healthcare/services/autism-developmental-disorders/cadd
