A Different Kind of Normal, Part 2
Written By Charlotte Meryman
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In so many words: Jimmy Foard's parents, therapists, aide, teachers — everyone in his young life — try to get him to do one thing: speak.
The series so far: In Part I, we met the Foard family — mom Michelle, dad Jim, son Jimmy, 4, and daughter Maddie, 2. Jimmy was born with Alfi's syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder in which part of the ninth chromosome is missing, and shows about half the signs for autism. As a result, this gentle, bright boy must grapple with many profound challenges. They are physical: Low muscle tone frustrates his ability to walk, move, and speak. And they are social: Bonding with other kids doesn't come easily. Part I followed Jimmy through the minefields of an average birthday party and also offered glimpses of the roller coaster of his birth and first years. All parents, of course, brave their children's trials and savor their triumphs. But to be Jimmy's parents is something else again. You learn to embrace "a different kind of perfect," as Michelle puts it, and "a different kind of normal."
