Dylan and Derek were on WMTW Channel 8 with Tracy Sabol talking about “Chasing the Rabbit,” their upcoming appearance at the Southern Maine Autism Conference and the challenge being labeled “high functioning.”

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TRANSCRIPT of WMTW STORY

TRACY: ACCORDING TO THE CDC, ABOUT ONE IN 68 CHILDREN IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH HAVING AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BOYS ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THE DISORDER. WE SPOKE TO A FATHER IN SCARBOROUGH KNOWS ALL TOO WELL ABOUT AUTISM AND DECIDED TO PUT HIS EXPERIENCES WITH HIS SON INTO A BOOK. WE HAD AN EXPERT TELL US DYLAN WAS INCAPABLE OF LOVE. WHEN HE WAS QUITE YOUNG. THAT IS A DEVASTATING THING TO HEAR SOMEONE SAY. IT TURNED OUT TO BE COMPLETELY UNTRUE. TRACY: DEREK VOLK SAYS HIS SON DYLAN WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM AS A YOUNG BOY. HE STILL REMEMBERS THE DAY HIS WIFE THOUGHT SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG. I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND MY WIFE SAID, SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH DYLAN. I SAID, HE IS FINE. SHE SAID, SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. IT TOOK US SIX YEARS TO GET A DIAGNOSIS. WE WERE BOUNCED AROUND. PEOPLE DIAGNOSED HIM WITH EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. IT WAS NOT VERY WELL KNOWN. IT WAS NOT SURPRISING AT FIRST, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS HE WAS DOING THAT WERE CLEARLY ASKED BERGER — ASPBE RGER TRAITS. TRACY: DEREK DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK WITH HIS SON TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS. DID YOU MET ME, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THERE IS ANYTHING UP WITH ME. SECOND, WITH A LOT OF CHALLENGES. PEOPLE HOLD ME TO THE SAME STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING WRONG. TRACY: DYLAN HAS NOT LET THE CHALLENGES HOLD HIM BACK. HE IS NOW LIVING ON HIS OWN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, HOPING TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN AND POSTING WORK ONLINE. NOT AN EASY CAREER PATH, BUT ONE HIS DAD THINKS HE CAN HANDLE. DYLAN HAS STRONG CHARACTERISTICS AND A LOT OF STRONG TRAITS. WE KNOW HE IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. TRACY: DEREK AND DYLAN’S BOOK IS DUE OUT IN MAY, TITLED “CHASING THE RABBIT.” THEY ARE ALSO THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT THE SOUTHERN MAINE AUTISM CONFERENCE THIS SATURDAY AND SOUTH PORTLAND