A School District That Takes the Isolation Out of Autism
Andy Manis for The New York Times
Garner Moss, far right, with his cross-country teammates in Madison, Wis. He is not the fastest member of the team. But he does have his own style.
By MICHAEL WINERIP
Published: August 1, 2010
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Times Topic: Michael Winerip
Andy Manis for The New York Times
‘After third grade there, I told my husband, Garner would go nowhere in life and the family would fall apart. We had to leave.’ Beth Moss, on why the family moved from Tennessee to Madison.
MADISON, Wis. — Garner Moss has autism and when he was finishing fifth grade, his classmates made a video about him, so the new students he would meet in the bigger middle school would know what to expect. His friend Sef Vankan summed up Garner this way: “He puts a little twist in our lives we don’t usually have without him.”
People with autism are often socially isolated, but the Madison public schools are nationally known for including children with disabilities in regular classes. Now, as a high school junior, Garner, 17, has added his little twist to many lives.