We were blindsided by autism.
Our little son, Josiah, was born in October 2005 a healthy baby. For the first 18 months or so, he seemed to be developing normally. Somewhere between 19-22 months, things began to change subtly. Then, very rapidly, he began to lose words and eye contact. We had to mobilize fast. We found out that Josiah had autism--a disorder that's said to be lifelong with "no known cause and no known cure." At least 1 in 150 kids these days gets this troubling diagnosis that effects communication and socialization. Parents are often given little hope and muddled direction for their child's future. We wanted to change that. That's why I put together the show "Surprised by Autism."
"Surprised by Autism" follows the emotive and practical journey of our family as we learn about Josiah's autism and various ways to treat this whole-body disorder. Interviews include professionals in the Twin Cities, MN metro area who offer educational, psychological, dietary or biomedical approaches to tackling autism. Families just learning to navigate through an autism diagnosis will especially find direction and hope for a better future for their child.
Joseph Cullen is a television producer for Government Television Network Channel 16, located in White Bear Lake, MN. He lives with wife Tahni and son Josiah in Hugo, MN.
