Not much ever happens in Endora, Iowa. The Grape family is one of many who live in this city. Gilbert is the oldest brother of 4 children, all but one of whom still live at home with their mother. Arnie is 6 days away from turning 18. Doctors told the family they would be lucky if he lived to age 10. The film begins with Arnie and Gilbert watching the caravans go by, an annual tradition before Arnie's birthday. After all the trailers have come and gone, they go into town and head to Gilbert's job. Shortly after his arrival, he is called for a delivery to Mrs. Carver's house. He leaves Arnie alone in the truck, when he leaves the house, Gilbert realizes that Arnie is missing. At the same moment the sheriff runs by; it can only mean one thing. After driving into the center of town, that's when Gilbert sees Arnie. He climbed the water tower once again. It is in this moment that we see the true bond between Gilbert and his brother Arnie. As Arnie continues to climb higher, his brother takes the speaker and starts singing to him. She manages to convince him with the song, assuring the sheriff that it won't happen again, and then she can take him home. As his brother's primary caretaker, Gilbert is responsible for bathing and getting Arnie ready for bed. One night at dinner, Mom starts yelling at Arnie for repeating the phrase "Daddy's dead!" He starts covering his ears, shouting the loudest sentence and patting himself on the head. The next day Arnie tries to climb the water tower again. This time, however, his sister Ellen attacks him. He pushes him to the ground, kicks him and pulls his hair trying to force him off the ground and away from the tower. Gil... middle of the paper... the best possible outcomes for their lives. Regardless of whether a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, they each have the right to live, learn and achieve their dreams. By learning the early warning signs, a child can have a successful future. Works Cited by the American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. "How is autism treated?". Autism speaks. Autism Speaks Inc., June 2012. Web. 08 Dec 2013. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Autism." Autism – MayoClinic.com. MayoClinic, October 6, 2012. Web. December 11, 2013. "What is autism?" What is autism? Autism speaks. Autism Speaks Inc., June 2012. Web. 08 December 2013. .