An Unlikely Most Valuable Player A. It was a bitter winter night in New York—cold enough to keep most people indoors. But outside the Elwain home, someone was bouncing a ball repeatedly against the asphalt, totally ignoring the frigid air. It was Jason, a tall teenager, dressed lightly against the February chill, doing what he loved most: shooting hoops. No matter the weather, Jason practiced basketball, if not at home, then at his high school, Greece Athena. B. As a junior, he tried out for college team, but Jason is autistic (孤独症的), and lacking the fine coordination and strength of the other players, he didn’t make it. He practiced harder and tried out again as a senior, only to be met with the same disheartening result. But because Jason’s passion for basketball was so intense, the coach found a way for him to stay in the game—as the Trojans’ team manager. It was Jason’s job to hand out water and offer his teammates major doses of moral support. C. The Trojans enjoyed a solid season, playing 17 games and coming away with 12 victories—which was why, for their final home game, coach Jim asked his popular manager to suit up. As a surprise to Jason, he planned to let him play. With just four minutes left on the clock and the Trojans with a comfortable lead, Johnson called number 52 onto the court. D. A stunned Jason had his first shot badly, and he missed again with the second. Then suddenly, the 17-year-old made a clean hoop shot. He kept shooting, one basket after another, until he’d scored six three-pointers and one two-pointer for a total of 20 points. Applause filled the gymnasium as members of the crowd surged forward to lift Jason onto their shoulders. Coach Jim actually wept, and Jason’s classmates waved signs with the boy’s face on them, screaming, "Jason, Jason." The kid who lived for basketball but was never picked for the team was suddenly the most unexpected streak shooter in high school hoops history. E. Jason became an instant celebrity, winning headlines across the country. Highlights of his streak were shown repeatedly on TV news and ESPN. Movie offers poured in from Hollywood studios, and last July, Jason won the ESPY Award for Best Moment in sports. "Though I knew it wasn’t going to be me, I never thought Jason would be the one in our family to become famous," his dad, David, a sales tax audit manager, says with a laugh. But Jason’s feat on the basketball court was hardly the first dramatic moment in his life. F. The younger of two boys born to David and Debbie Elwain, Jason seemed a normal infant. Then, when he was six months old, everything changed. Jason became rigid if held; he soon stopped making eye contact and was completely unresponsive when he was rocked. "I knew something was wrong," says Debbie, a dentist. Though her husband and other relatives told her not to worry, Debbie couldn’t avoid comparing Jason’s development with that of his brother, Josh, older by 18 months. "Josh talked a lot at age two," she says. "At the same age, Jason just sat in a corner and played with his fingers." G. David and Debbie, fearing the worst, took Jason to Strong Children’s Hospital in Rochester for a complete evaluation. There, doctors diagnosed the boy with severe autism. Affecting some 1.5 million Americans, autism is the country’s fastest-growing developmental disability, although scientists do not know why. Jason also suffers from learning disabilities and has an IQ of 70. H. Debbie, who became her son’s personal warrior, says, "I was determined to get him out of it." Having discovered that with early intervention, there is a chance a severely autistic child can become high functioning, she enrolled Jason, at age three, in an intensive special education program. She also worked to keep him stimulated at home and talked to him ceaselessly. When he wouldn’t eat or drink, she’d flick the lights to distract him, then slip food into his open mouth. She made sure the only toys Jason received were the interactive kind. I. Like many autistic children, Jason was prone to violent behaviors. He’d run screaming around the house. All his parents could do was grab him and hold him tight. In trying to restrain her son, Debbie sometimes got hurt. Once, Jason gave her a black eye; another time, he dislocated her shoulder. "I’d do anything to stop him from hurting himself," says Debbie, "but it was exhausting. The outbursts could last a half-hour." Still, she says, "you just keep going and try not to despair." J. And whatever Josh did, Jason tried to do too. "Usually at my insistence," says Josh, who has always been protective of his little brother. The boys learned to play golf together. When Josh, now an outgoing and strong 19-year-old, became a lifeguard, Jason took lessons. When Josh took up the violin, Jason decided to play an instrument. In their neighborhood, Josh stood up for his brother when kids teased Jason or tried to make him do foolish things. When a student at school stole Jason’s birthday money, Josh got it back. One downside to the brothers’ close relationship: It was tough for Jason to say goodbye when Josh headed to college two years ago. K. Change can be extremely hard for the autistic, who typically finds comfort in routine. "Jason is very superstitious," explains Debbie. "Before basketball games, he insists that his supper consist of chicken soup, peaches, apple sauce and a glass of milk—or his team will lose. And he has to wear the same black pants, white shirt and shoes courtside." Those shoes no longer fit the night of the last game, but Jason wore them anyway—and ended up with blisters. L. Today, Jason, now 18, has learned to control his autistic humming in public. And when the urge to flap his arms comes, he thrusts his hands deep into his pockets. He has not outgrown his difficulty in making eye contact, but unlike some people with autism, he’s very social. M. Jason’s immediate response to his streak-shooting performance was pragmatic. "It was great to achieve this before finishing high school." He says. And his good fortune didn’t end there. He took a pretty sophomore to the senior prom. Josh was proud of his brother’s achievement. "Everybody at my school knows who Jason is," he says. "Girls say to me, ’Oh, my God, you’re Jason’s brother. That’s pretty cool.’ I think so, too." N. Late last spring, basketball great Magic Johnson paid a visit to Greece Athena High School to give a talk to the student body. "He said he was really proud of us, and especially of Jason," says one of Jason’s teammates. Johnson, who said he was "touched" by Jason’s story, plans to serve as an executive producer on a Columbia Pictures movie about the boy. O. The film is expected to make Jason financially secure, alleviating one of his parents’ longtime worries. "I believe he can hold a job and support himself," says his father. "But the film means he’ll be well looked after, and that’s what we care about." Jason is taking it all in stride. Last summer, he helped coach two Amateur Athletic Union basketball teams. At evening practices, when he joined his teenage players on the court, Jason Elwain was in his element. Autistic kids always stick to their old habits. Jason wore same coats and shoes, ate same food before each game.