PLEASE HOLD FOR MARTHA IRVINE STORY: In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016 photo, Judy Nodurft, the former head of special education in Ben's old school district, talks to Ben Alexander at his house in Metairie, La. Alexander, 22, has nonverbal autism, a condition that became apparent when he was 2 years old. He has found his voice through writing using what is known as “facilitated communication,” a method in which another person steadies the hand of the autistic person, so he or she can communicate through typing. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)