I stopped by Barnes & Noble in Fresno on Saturday afternoon to hear author Barbara Firestone discuss her book, "Autism Heroes." Unlike a lot of authors, Dr. Firestone wasn't there just to sell books. She was on a mission to shine light on the struggles of children with autism and their families.

Most in the audience showed up because they're parents or grandparents of children with autism. There was a lot of pain in that room, as they explained how the system wasn't giving the children they love the care they deserved. The public schools didn't want to deal with their problems, the insurance companies wanted to duck their responsibility, their neighbors didn't understand why they couldn't control their children..

Dr. Firestone spent much of her time Saturday listening to the family members tell of problems in getting basic education and health needs met. Some of the questions were complicated and she said she'd talk to those parents privately. She has learned patience in dealing with families with children who have autism.

I was one of the few in the audience without a personal connection to autism. I went out of curiosity because my daughter is volunteering in a research lab at UC San Diego, where she is an undergraduate student. Researchers in the UCSD baby lab are studying autism, and looking for protocols leadng to early diagnosis. That would allow for better treatment of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. My daughter has been telling me about the research, and I wanted to learn more about autism. The book signing in Fresno was a wonderful opportunity for me to hear first-hand about this subject.

Dr. Firestone is president and CEO of The Help Group, which is a nonprofit that serves children with special needs related to autism, Asperger's Disorder, learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, abuse and emotional problems. She is vice chair of the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.