Two decades ago, new research and new diagnostic tools led to a sharp rise in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism. The surprising prevalence of the developmental brain disorder – affecting an estimated 1 in 68 children born in the U.S. – sparked a wave of special programs designed to help autistic children achieve their full potential. Now, as these children have grown into adults, programs to help them live their lives with purpose and dignity are few and far between. Producer Rob Sivak reports on some local efforts to address the unique challenges of adults with autism.
Then, theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the Baltimore Playwrights Festival production of Crash & Burn.
And Tom talks with local author Suzanne Feldman about her new novel, Absalom’s Daughters -- a book that explores race and self-discovery in the American South.