Healing Autism on Horseback

When Rupert Isaacson’s son Rowan was first diagnosed with autism in 2004, he felt like he’d been hit across the face with a baseball bat. The signs were there: lack of interest with others, not sharing or responding, repetitive movements with objects. And at around 18 months old, Rowan began having rageful tantrums - writhing, earsplitting, seemingly demonic tantrums that would last for hours. Rupert and his wife tried everything - vitamins, doctors, therapies - and then one day, Rupert put little Rowan on the back of a horse.

That’s Rupert Isaacson from the film Over the Hills and Far Away, which will be out in September. The film documents the great lengths the family goes to to communicate with little Rowan -even setting out for a month-long trek across the Mongolian steppes in search of a healer.

The story is told by Rupert Isaacson himself in his memoir The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son,and he joins us from the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas.

Watch a trailer for Over the Hills and Far Away:

And we'll hear about the challenges of being a sibling to an autistic child. Erin Davis, who graduated recently from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine, produced "Except Me," the story of Andrew Skillings, an 11-year-old with autism, as told through the eyes of his 15-year-old sister, Marissa. Erin's remarkable production earned her the Best New Producer Award at the 2008 Third Coast International Audio Festival.

You tell us: Do you have an experience with autism? Have you sought healing? Wished for a cure? Or do you believe that autism should be respected as a difference? You can call our listener line at 603-223-2448, or click here to send us an email.