It is to this effect that we embark on a project to represent children with autism visually in light of their differences and abilities; a "breaking down of barriers" in a sense that celebrates the rich diversity of functioning among human behavior. Our project aims to reflect and emphasize the individuality and positive aspects revealed by a more person-centered approach. If these children are "in another world" then the questions beg to be answered: where is that world, what does it look like, how does it feel, and how can we meet and engage in it? This is an important sentiment both for our children with autism and the society we have built around them. Furthermore, if we can come to appreciate the abnormal we will both better respect its management (improving the lives of our less able minority) and encourage their unique contributions amidst our social world. It is our contention that autism is not forbidden to connectedness, but rather a condition we need to engage in; making it worthy of an accurate, honest, and respectful study.

Photography can be a strong visual aid that can both reveal and educate. It can assist others to know, identify, validate, give birth to empathy and heal very real challenges had by few. The medium's strength lies in its ability to make still and memorable, the fleeting. Through photography we can vicariously visit a place, a person, a condition and absorb all that we may never see because our daily paths don't bring us to the challenges of other peoples' lives. The medium in and of itself makes important what it has selected; clearly offering a meeting place for diversity and acceptance.