BY MERRY SUE BAUM

Raymond Babbitt watched Judge Wapner every single day at 4 p.m. At 6, he watched Jeopardy! He would only wear underwear purchased at the K-Mart near his home, and the syrup had to be on the breakfast table before his pancakes. If -- for whatever reason -- any of this changed, Raymond became extremely upset: He would scream and continuously bang his head on the wall.

Raymond didn't talk much, either. In fact, he usually just parroted what other people said. He could, however, memorize enormous amounts of information in minutes and solve complex mathematical problems in his head, in just seconds.

By now you may remember Raymond. He is the endearing, autistic character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Rain Man." Raymond is often the first one people think of when the topic of autism arises. But he is far from a classic case. The disorder is more overwhelming and heartbreaking than could ever possibly be depicted on the silver screen.

Spring/Summer1999 Table of Contents

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