Meltdowns. Rejection. Bullying. All of these words are associated with autism. As the story opens, Jeff Howard races to the emergency room to find his wife battered by their autistic son. Jeff's plans for his success and family start falling apart, and the reality hits that life is hard. But it's harder when you have a child with autism. You can try, but you can't run from it. Jeff's journey from denial to acceptance is poignant and honest. Jeff must let go of his expectations and embrace a different way to live. To find peace the family must be able to pull together and work as a team to make a better life for them all. Through the process, the family learns some new words to associate with autism: courage, acceptance, and joy.