Off to the left, in a playroom stuffed with puzzles, toy drums—all the typical toys of a toddler—a brightly colored, child-sized desk stood alone. Bare of crayons and coloring books, only Gregg-Anthony Moon’s yellow nametag marred the desk’s plastic surface.

Poised for action in his Winnie the Pooh T-shirt and new tennis shoes, his bright eyes peered from under fine blond hair, Gregg-Anthony appears to be an ordinary 4-year-old kid. Then he began to rock, back and forth, back and forth. His bright blue eyes fixed on a far distant point, while a thin, keening sound, “EEEEEEE,” howled from between his lips.

Suddenly, a dramatic change came over him. Gregg-Anthony spied Bryce Aktepy, his therapist, aide and companion. Leaping up and down in excitement, Gregg-Anthony clapped; his hands flailed wildly through the air and contacted finally with a loud “Smack!” His frantic attempts to communicate verbally result only in more “EEEEEEE’s”.

Together, they began Gregg-Anthony’s daily exercises.

“Look at me,” Aktepy said, pointing directly at his own eyes. He struggled to get his pupil’s attention while Gregg-Anthony tried to slip a number six-shaped puzzle piece into number nine’s spot. The frustration building in the child’s eyes peaked, then released; he reached back his arm, grunted and hrew the puzzle piece across the floor.

“I know, those six’s and nine’s can get pretty confusing,” Aktepy said, in a calming voice. “Go pick it up, please.”

Gregg-Anthony slowly, grudgingly walked over to pick up the puzzle piece, stopping to paw a bat-shaped balloon on the way.

“Good job,” Aktepy exclaimed, upon Gregg-Anthony’s return. “Do you want a cookie?”

Gregg-Anthony, 4, suffers from a form of autism. According to the Autism Research Institute, autism is a biological brain disorder that begins during the first two-and-a-half years of life. While every case presents different symptoms, some autistic traits include staring into space, throwing tantrums and doing repetitive activities for no apparent reason. Despite these behavioral differences, most autistic children are normal in appearance.

“(Autism) is a social disorder, (autistics) can’t read other people,” said Debbie Moon, Gregg-Anthony’s mother, hands tightly folded atop jean-clad legs. “When I’m angry he doesn’t realize that I’m angry.

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