A Mother's Journey Through Heartache and Joy.
'Smiling At Shadows' is the story of Junee and Rod Waites and their son, Dane. Junee and Rod have journeyed with their son for twenty-six years: from the first anxious hours of Dane's birth, through childhood, adolescence and as he has blossomed into a talented and caring adult, with a valued place in his community. Theirs is a remarkable story, because Dane is different.
As a baby, Dane didn't smile at his parents, or meet their gaze - Dane smiled at the shadows of moving trees. The movement of the leaves distracted and comforted him in a way that neither toys nor physical contact could. Dane was five years old when Junee, reading a book about Autism, recognised that Dane had the classic symptoms of this pervasive developmental disorder.
From this moment, Rod and Junee's daily life is framed by the joy and the heartache of meeting Dane in his world, and the challenge of drawing him into theirs. They did not waver in their belief that Dane's abilities could be nurtured or in their commitment to offer him every experience possible. Junee and Rod's family life has been enriched by their experience. They have learned to smile at the shadows too.
