Oct 11, 2005 — Autism is a nureological disorder. It typically appears in the first 3 years of a child's life. People with autism typically have language difficulties and trouble relating to other people. They have an obsessive need for things to stay the same. Alex Smith is 15 years old. He's a sophmore at Canton high school. When he was in elementary school he had a one-on-one aide, an adult always by his side. But Canton is one school with a long history of inclusion, of involving students with disabilities as much as possible in regular ed classes. Alex's story is one of increasing independence.