One man's story: When an autistic child grows up

When meeting Jeff Donohoo, it's not immediately apparent he is a 36-year-old man living with autism. In fact, unless you get him talking about the Atlanta Braves one of his true passions in life he is a very quiet person.
Early on, his younger brothers and sister didn't know, either.
"Since they grew up with him, they just knew Jeff was Jeff," said Nancy Donohoo, his mother. "They didn't think of him as weird or anything."
But when friends started to notice Donohoo was different, Nancy Donohoo was quick to explain to a group of 10-year-olds why.
"Jeff has a social problem, not a mental problem," she explained. "He's very smart. He reads encyclopedias ... he just doesn't know how to talk to people."
From then on, friends who visited the house always made an effort to interact with Donohoo, through a high-five or a simple "hello."
Today, it's unlikely Donohoo will be the first to say hello in a group setting, but interacting with people is easier for him than it once was.
Questioned about his childhood, his most elaborate response is "yeah" or "no." But when the topic is the Braves, it's hard to get him to stop talking about the latest statistics or his favorite player, Mark Teixeira.
Asked how long he's been a Braves fan, there was little hesitation: "All my life."
He's come a long way since he was a child. Then, just teaching Donohoo to talk was a challenge in itself, Nancy Donohoo said. "There was no eye contact, so I would hold his face in front of me, and say the word I wanted him to say."
Donohoo entered the first grade as a special education student. It was the first year special education was offered in his family's hometown of Florence, Alabama. He carried on with special education until the sixth grade, when he was mainstreamed, or put in classes with children without disabilities.