I’ve been asking people to share their ALD stories saying, “Be honest, include all important details and keep it under 500 words”. As I sit to write Jack’s story, I realize that it’s a very hard assignment . . .

THIS is ALD #1 — JackO

Jack was born in 1998, healthy and strong. He reached all of his milestones easily and was a completely typical child as he started school. He loved his friends and riding his bicycle and he was a talented artist and an eager student.

In the beginning of second grade, Jack began to unravel. He could no longer complete simple tasks, his school work was suffering and he started exhibiting unusual behavior – chewing on his clothing, obsessively touching things, and loosing appropriate boundaries with people. We went to countless doctors and learning specialists. He was diagnosed with ADHD and we tried behavioral techniques and…