Second Time

I'm reading Far from the Tree, by Andrew Solomon.  There will likely be many posts that come out of this.  There is a chapter about the experiences of families with autism.

I was struck by a passage from a woman who's second child was diagnosed with autism. 

"My son seemed totally normal, after dealing with my daughter," she recalled.  Unlike her sister, however, she had no experience of normal children.
 

Our experience with Middle Son was very similar.  Oldest Son was a very demanding infant and toddler.  He wanted to be held all the time and required constant attention and interaction.  Middle Son was quiet and seemed content on his own most of the time.

I remember MomC saying something like "no, there isn't anything wrong with Middle Son, he's nothing like Oldest Son."