If you were to speak to a young adult with Autism, the first thing they would usually tell you is that they don't want to be cured. In fact, they take the notion as an insult. Rather, they would rather see efforts and resources put into therapies and services in order to help the person with ASD to acclimate to the outside world. As a mom of a newly diagnosed toddler, and someone who has advocated for Autism since my cousin Elijah was diagnosed almost 8 years ago, I would say that educating the world around us about ASD so we can break down the walls and live cohesively. People with ASD can be very successful when given the right tools. Many of the world's brightest innovators and scientists are on the spectrum. We are beginning to see more TV characters on the spectrum with shows like Parenthood (although I'm convinced Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory has Asperger's, though that has never been written into the show). The more that is done for these kids and young adults at an early age, the more they will be able to contribute to society and innovation. My dreams are still huge for Matthew. He loves to explore the mechanics of different objects, how they work and is fascinated by numbers. I see something huge and grand in his future and its all because he was born with a brain that works differently than everybody else. Well, not everyone can be brilliant, right?