Del Olmo's Commentaries on His Autistic Son

Los Angeles Times Associate Editor Frank del Olmo, who died February 19, wrote a series of commentaries from 1995 to 2003 on the growth and development of his autistic son, Frankie.

December 21, 2003

COMMENTARY

Frankie's Journey Toward Manhood

The normal rules of child development have not always applied to my son, Frankie, who was diagnosed with autism almost 10 years ago.

December 22, 2002

COMMENTARY

Powers That Be Should See the Needs of Frankie

There is good news and bad this holiday season regarding my son, Frankie, and other children like him who have autism.

December 23, 2001

COMMENTARY

Daring to Dream of Frankie's Future

This year I finally allowed myself to start dreaming about my son's future again.

December 24, 2000

COMMENTARY

This Year, Frankie Finally Got His Puppy

For all the difficulty autism poses for my 8-year-old son, Frankie, this holiday season has helped me realize how much progress he's made fighting the mysterious neurological disorder that afflicts him.

December 26, 1999

PERSPECTIVE ON CHRISTMAS

A Difficult Year With Progress Hindered, but Not Without Hope

My 7-year-old son, Frankie, wants a puppy. For most parents that would make the choice of his Christmas gift very easy. But Frankie has autism. And that can complicate even the simplest decisions about our family life.

December 27, 1998

PERSPECTIVE ON AUTISM

Facing Loss but Keeping Hope

Fathers always underestimate how mature their children are. In my case, it took a death in the family to show me how much my "babies" have grown. And for my 6-year-old son, Frankie, in particular, the loss of a beloved great aunt had a significant consolation. His caring reaction to the grief of the adults around him marked the latest step in his fight against autism, a severe neurological disorder.

December 21, 1997

PERSPECTIVE ON AUTISM

To Gift of Hope, Add a Bonus: Love

A colleague dropped by my office last week for a sobering conversation--one I've become sadly accustomed to having in the three years since my 5-year-old son Frankie was diagnosed as having infantile autism.

April 30, 1996

A Happier Birthday for Frankie at 4

My son Frankie turned 4 last week, giving our family a chance to celebrate not just his birthday but also the progress he's made recently overcoming the effects of infantile autism.

December 22, 1996

PERSPECTIVE ON AUTISM

A Child Untickled by the New Elmo

My wife, Magdalena, may be the only Christmas shopper who is not sorry she didn't buy a Tickle Me Elmo when she had the chance. It was weeks ago, before the $25 talking doll based on a Sesame Street character became this year's hot toy, selling (in a few reported instances) for hundreds of dollars.

December 20, 1995

When the Biggest Gift Is a Little Boy's Hug

No two people with autism are the same; its precise form or expression is different in every case . . . So, while a single glance may suffice for clinical diagnosis, if we hope to understand the autistic individual, nothing less than a total biography will do. --Oliver Sacks, "An Anthropologist on Mars"