Brookline, Massachusetts — Like most people with autism, 19-year-old Viraj Dhanda of Brookline, Massachusetts, came into this world disguised as a typical baby. Until he was about 18 months old.

"There were a lot of milestones he was missing," his father, Sumit Dhanda, told CBS News. "…You know, first the gap is just a little. Then it's bigger. Then it's like a chasm. And now you're starting to hear from the doctors, 'Well, he's going to need care for the rest of his life. He's never going to be able to communicate.'"

Sumit, a single father who raised his son alone, spent Viraj's first 14 years trying to teach him numbers, ABCs, the basics. But nothing seemed to stick, at least not that he could tell because Viraj also has apraxia – a neurological disorder which means he cannot speak or

See Full Page