It's hard to quarrel with Marie Wachlin's claim [Q&A, WW, Oct. 19, 2005] that familiarity with some version of the Christian Bible is useful in understanding aspects of Western literature and art. How, for example, could one make sense of Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling"—much less have compassion for the woman who is recently alleged, hearing voices, to have thrown her three children into the sea—without some knowledge of the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac?

It's also nice to be "for knowledge and against ignorance," as she is quoted to be. She lost me, however, with "All knowledge is good; I wouldn't want to exclude anything" when she responded to the interviewer's question about so-called "intelligent design." The distinction between knowledge and faith-based belief is still non-trivial, at least among the (currently somewhat maligned) reality-based population. Let the student beware!

Robert E. Reynolds
Northeast Royal Court

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

I find the language used by the Handleys used in the Oct. 12 paper very offensive ["Curing Jamie Handley," WW, Oct. 12, 2005]. For example, I am 18 years old and I have autism. Yet I lead an almost normal life. I go to school, hang out with friends, and so forth. I am anything but "locked in a dungeon" [in J.B. Handley's phrase].

An autistic person just learns differently. So you as a parent or teacher need to find out the child's method of problem-solving and use it to teach him/her the ability to communicate and interact with other people. In order to help your child with autism, you must first try and see what they see, think what they think, and once you understand this, you can take steps to help them overcome their social or intellectual shortfalls.

Jason Haag
Grade 12, Reynolds Learning Academy
Fairview

THE AUTISM HURRICANE

Like all parents of autistic children, I would like to find a cure for my son. But in the meantime, these poor children, many of whom can't talk or play pretend games without special help, benefit from treatment. A common theme to many treatments is that they require lots of one-on-one time. Since time is money, treatment is expensive.

I can tell you that autistic kids are capable of wonderful achievements, but they don't come cheap or easy. Let's remember that just saying that no child will be left behind won't get the job done, especially for autistic children whose parents aren't investment bankers, doctors or lawyers.

Autism is a silent hurricane that leaves behind its own form of devastation, and as a society, we have a responsibility to assist with the rebuilding.

John P. Ashworth
Northeast Stanton Street