Autism x 6

Imagine a family with six children under 14 living in an 1100 sq. ft. house, with one bathroom. Now imagine that all 6 of those children are autistic.

Tune in Wednesday, May 13 at 8 pm for Autism x 6.

In this one-hour special, we'll explore the everyday reality of John and Robin Kirton and their children — who range from 3 to 14. The Kirtons may well have the largest of autistic children in a family ever in history.

Logistics and problem-solving on a daily basis are daunting tasks. On any typical afternoon when all six Kirton kids are home, life can spin out of control in a millisecond. Turn your back, and anything can happen. Aamon is likely to climb up on a high bureau and teeter atop it while he tests how far it will rock before it falls over.  Meanwhile, Sarah might be tearing at the walls; Nephi and Emma are fighting over computer time and both melting down. Little Mary has gotten into the garlic powder, and Bobby's trying to fix everything by constantly cleaning.

We are going to get inside the experience of this family and live with each of them. We'll go to autism school where Aamon, Mary and Sarah get intense, in-your-face, behavioral training. We'll see what it's like for Bobby, who goes to regular school but has never really fit in. We'll see what happens when the parents try to take this unruly brood to a restaurant. And we'll be in the room when John and Robin have to face up to the results of having their kids evaluated.

In the end, we'll have seen struggle, learned a lot about autism and, above all, witnessed the strength of a family bond against staggering obstacles.

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RELATED LINKS:

• Learn more about the Kirton family and autism by visiting their Autism Bites blog.
  
  
• Visit our Autism Guide for more on living with autism.
  
  
• Share how autism has touched your life in the Pregnancy and Parenting Community.