Many people think autism dooms children to a life of dependency.
Grossman was recently elected vice president of the Autism Society of America, the largest national autism organization in the world. Representing the more than 400,000 people with autism and their families in the United States, Grossman will be involved in lobbying for disability legislation, securing research funds and developing a national awareness campaign. Autism is a sensory disorder that sometimes causes children to become detached from society. But Grossman said that with early intervention and proper treatment, many autistic people are starting to live functional, independent lives. Whereas five to six years ago, professionals were telling them that there was nothing they could do but put them in an institution and walk away.