Clark Elliott, 10, explains his perception of autism and the benefits he's received from Camp Awareness:

"It's kind of like a disease, but you're born with it and it's not like something that can go away. It's not really bad. I mean, in some cases it's bad. In some cases it can even make you smart. I mean, I'm in Horizons -- that's a special program at my school if you're a really smart kid, and I probably wouldn't be there if I didn't have autism.

"Pressures are absent from camp. I did like swimming, arts and crafts, and every day I did Pokemon. Like me and my best friend, James, we always played Pokemon. And sure, I may be too old for make-believe, in other people's opinions, but really, in my opinion, you can't be too old for make-believe.

"What I liked best was when we had time just there in cabins doing stuff. Me and my friend James, we didn't do the overnight, but we had a substitute for it. I asked his mom and my mom if he could come over to my house and sleep over. My mom said, 'Yes.'

"James is a kid who you would like as a lifelong friend, and I mean like from the age of 5 up until 99, if you live that long. Sometimes some of the other kids made me a little mad. But that was just about it.

"It helps me to know a lot of other people with autism. I met this kid, he probably is in between medium (autism) and Asperger Syndrome. Just about the only word he knows is 'no.' I mean, I asked him a question, I asked him a whole bunch of questions, and of course they were like spread out through the whole time, and every time he was like, 'No, no, no.' (barking sound). It's the only word I heard that kid say the whole time.

"I really want to go back this year. I have a new friend, James. I just hope my mom will sign me up for it."