Military families and autism: A battle on two fronts | Washington Times Communities

Military families and autism: A battle on two fronts | Washington Times Communities

SILVER SPRING, Md. (11/8/10) — The last time the U.S. Army informed Major Brandon Russell that it was time to move to a new assignment, he opted instead to choose a dangerous and unpopular deployment option so that his family wouldn't have to move from their current home in Boston for the 15 months he would be in training and in Iraq.

What would lead a family man to make such a decision? His 6-year-old daughter Rhema has autism and a seizure disorder and she attends a highly sought after school for children with special needs. Not wanting her to be uprooted, Russell chose to accept a spot in the army's Stability Transition Team, a job that includes incentives for those who take it—including getting to choose where your family lives...