Autism

9 tonight COMEDY Jon Stewart hosts this special fund-raiser for autism. It includes sketches, short films and performances by Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Silverman and Chris Rock (right), among many others.

Michelle Cohen has learned a lot about being a mother since her daughter, Morgan, was born two years ago. One thing she learned is that parents such as herself, with an autistic child, need help. When Morgan was born, Cohen said, she and her husband, Jay, didn't suspect anything. To them and their families, Morgan was developing normally, and by nine months, the infant could say "mama" and "dada," "no" and "yes. " But Morgan had trouble with ear infections and was on an array of antibiotics.

My yoga teacher likes to say, as she eyeballs my unlimber limbs, straining to contort in comical ways, that "it's the journey, not the destination," and those wise words might also serve as the message of this moving documentary film about one family's experience with autism. The Horse Boy - which won the Audience Award at SXSW '09, under the more sonorous title Over the Hills and Far Away - documents the day-to-day struggles of an Elgin, Texas, family to cope with their 5-year-old son Rowan's autism.

BONE FITNESS. Crippling, costly hip fractures are less likely to occur in men and women who exercise and get plenty of calcium. That's according to three new studies published in the British medical journal Lancet. Researchers say the independent findings are important because calcium's role in preventing bone loss has been contradictory and controversial for years, especially in treating the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis. SEAT-BELT SAFETY. Usage of seat belts by U.S. motorists has increased to a record 46.5 percent, the 12th consecutive rise since the government began its semiannual surveys of 19 major U.S. cities in 1982.

I entered worlds known and unknown when I visited the Special Needs Sunday School at First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown. The world of faith and devotion was familiar. So were the songs, books, games and prayers. But it was my first exposure to small-group fellowship in which families, volunteers and a behavior specialist combine learning with unconditional love and compassion for children with behavior and communication disorders - among them autism spectrum disorders. Within minutes, I felt enveloped by the warm, supportive environment.

Alexandra Bricklin's moment of deepest anguish came six months after her daughter was diagnosed as autistic. It was Rebecca's third birthday. "I always thought I'd be able to go back to work when she was 3," said Bricklin. "I'm a composer. But instead, I had to shelve my career. That's when the depression hit. "I had to re-choose my life. My new career would be advocacy . . . Every day, from 1:30 in the afternoon until she falls asleep at 10 or 11, I'm with her. Sometimes I feel like I live in a white-walled cell.

Raymond, 8, just loves music, whether it's singing nursery rhymes or listening to songs on his Walkman. Very artistic and creative, he enjoys painting and drawing. His favorite activity is playing on the computer. Diagnosed with autism, Raymond has made tremendous progress in a highly specialized educational program. His growth is attributed to his personality. Gentle, affectionate and cooperative, he is eager to please and follows directions well. His teacher says he is very bright and "a joy to have in the classroom.

Brianna is a charming, active 8-year-old who delights in playing and exploring her surroundings with her twin brother, Raymond. She loves to sing, listen to music, and play games on her computer. She also enjoys painting, drawing and dressing up. Although she can be initially wary of strangers, she quickly warms up to people and loves to see familiar faces. Diagnosed with autism, Brianna is enrolled in a special-education program. Eager to please, she follows directions well and has made tremendous progress.

Buzzy Diamond admits she was nervous when she was asked to include a child with autism in her math class of 25 fifth graders. Diamond said she was hesitant because she had no training in special education and did not want the extra paperwork and personnel involved in dealing with a child with special needs. Despite her protests, she said, the child came to class in 1995 and changed her opinion on "inclusion," the placing of special-education students in regular classrooms. "He was very, very good in basic math; in fact, he was the best in the class.

Question : A friend of mine advised me not to give my baby the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine because of a link between it and autism. My nephew is autistic, and I don't want to do anything that might cause harm to my son. What advice can you give me on this difficult decision? Answer: Rest assured that the vaccine is safe. The MMR vaccine will protect your son against three serious infectious diseases, and will not cause him to develop autism. The controversy came about as a result of a 1998 research study published in the prestigious British journal The Lancet citing a new syndrome of autism and an inflammatory bowel condition in 12 children who had recently received the MMR vaccine.