From time to time, I could hear the kitchen drawer open and the bag rustle. Being the clever boy he is, he found a way to get into the bag and touch the candy but not eat it all himself.



Years of Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy for his autism transformed him into a child constantly seeking positive reinforcement. He craves it almost as much as he craves sweet treats.

Lucky for me he also doles it out.

Over the last week, every time I did something he deemed praise worthy, I got a candy corn.

"Mom, you got me to school on time today. You get a candy corn." Or "Mom, you made my pot roast for dinner. You get a candy corn." Or "Mom, you brought us to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua again. You get a candy corn."

I haven't eaten this many candy corns in a long time.

As we were sitting on the couch Friday afternoon, Liam turned to me and said, "Mom, what does innocent mean?"

"It means that you didn't do something bad. It means that you are not guilty. Do you know what guilty means?"

"Yes, that means you did something bad like eat all the candy corns when your mom said don't do it."

"Right. It means you knew something was bad and you did it anyway."

I went to investigate the bag. Sure enough, there were nine candy corns left.

Someone felt guilty.

"Liam, are you the one who is guilty of eating the candy corns?"

"No mom. I am innocent. You have been eating the candy corns because you did a good job. Remember? You are the guilty one."

My child with autism has learned the art of spin - twisting situations where he is clearly guilty around to blame someone else for his actions while simultaneously declaring his innocence.

Last week, I tuned in to the Presidential Debates with all the enthusiasm I usually reserve for the Superbowl. I even popped a bowl of popcorn. For political junkies like me, historical elections like this make for great entertainment.

Lo and behold, both candidates not only mentioned the word autism but actually debated the health issue. McCain indicated autism issues would be an integral part of his Administration's efforts. Obama almost dismissed McCain's comments as pandering since McCain would be calling for a governmental spending freeze stating the amount of money required to effectively address autism issues would be astronomical. Watching genuine banter for votes on the most important health topic in my personal life on national television was almost too much to bear.

That said, taking on autism is a significant task. Any candidate effectively addressing the issues is tantamount to Kennedy's youthful exuberance declaring that we would have man on the moon in 10 years, or Reagan's life experience and wisdom that challenged Communism head on.

Presidential leadership is required to cut through bureaucracy, set goals and direct governmental...