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of boys his age-long hair, washing his hands until they bled pus. But would the program be enough
glued to his iPod, tends to and pulling out his eyelashes. He told to finally pull him out ofhis shell?
mumble. In other ways he's his parents he thought about killing First Class: M.y 2S Joey arrives
unlike nearly every other himself. Therapy and an antidepres- at a conference room. one of 11 teens
17-year-old at William Howard Taft sant helped him overcome his OeD. on the autism spectrum in the class.
High School in Los Angeles. There but "the problem was still socializa- Wearing an untucked plaid shirt
isn't a single pennant or poster or tion," says Diana, a graphic designer. and jeans, he sits expressionless.
trophy in his bedroom. He went to "He never laughed or talked. It was "We're going to practice things, make
exactly one party his first three years devastating to see him so alone." calls, talk about hobbies," Laugeson
of high school. And formostofhis life And so, this summer, his parents says, before asking, "What makes a
he didn't have the one thing almost
everyone can count on-a friend.
Even his parents could hardly get a
Before, it was awkward. Now
word out of him. "I just wanted to be I can enter a conversation" ~JOEY
able to talk to him," says his mother,
Diana, 47. "About anything."
JoeY,a bright kid with piercing blue
"
enrolled Joey in a cutting-edge class,
one of a handful across the coun-
friend?" Joey slowly raises his hand:
"Someone you care about?" She
eyes, has a mild form of autism. Like try. The Program for the Education marks a point by his name on a board.
many with the disorder, Joey found and Enrichment of Relational Skills For the first time, Joeysmiles.
it nearly impossible to start conver- (pEERS), run by UCLA's Semel Insti- Phon C.II: June 4At home Joey
sations, tell a joke, make appropri- tute for Neuroscience and Human is nervous about his homework: a
ate eye contact. "I couldn't fit in," he Behavior. addresses a hallmark fea- phone call with Marc. 16. from his
says. His low point came three years ture of autism: an inability to "antici- class. The conversation starts slowly
ago, when his parents switched him pate how people think and feel in but picks up when they discover they
from a special-education class- social situations," says Elizabeth both like to write. -Maybe I can see
where the kids had more severe dis- Laugeson, 38, a clinical psychologist your writing," says Joey. "l'1l show you
abilities-to Taft, a mainstream and cofounder of the program. Joey things 1 wrote." He smiles through-
high school. He began struggling attended once-a-week sessions for out the call. "l could be friends with
PEOPLE Novltmt..r22,2010 67