Local group links those affected by autism

Michaela Iffert is a precocious 9-year-old who writes short stories about adventurous horses, cares for injured animals and plans to be a veterinarian. She learned to read when she was 3, and her mind seems to have no creative limitations, said her mother, Eleanor Iffert. On a recent afternoon, Michaela cuddled with her gray cat on the sofa at her family’s home in rural Paso Robles. An arm’s-length away, her mother described the struggles of raising a child with autism. Because Michaela has no visible disability and is bright and because autism is four times more common in boys than girls, Iffert says her daughter’s disability is "truly hidden." "My daughter’s wonderful but misunderstood," she said. Michaela can be rigid and uncompromising.

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