Acutely Autistic - But Always Loved The Marlon and Pearlie Barton Story
"God gave us these children, and they are our responsibility. I just want Marlon to be happy"... Pearlie Barton.
Marlon Barton was almost 18 months old before he was identified with autism. Now that he is full grown, no one knows quite what to do with him. Barton is 6 foot 2 inches tall and weighs 283 pounds and acutely autistic. He is one of thousands of people diagnosed as children who are now entering adulthood. "He scares people," said his mother, Pearlie Barton, who cares for him around he clock. "Being large, African American and autistic does not work in his favor." Autism was a relatively rare condition when Barton was born, and youngsters like him did not get the kinds of therapeutic help that they do now.
