Los Angeles Times / Daily Pilot
Samuel Lara normally resists new sounds, textures and tastes. The 9-year-old, diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism, might get distressed in noisy crowds or around unfamiliar faces. So, his parents are careful about exposing him to anything that might push him out of his comfort zone.
“I don’t want to hinder him or have him regress,” his mother, Melissa Laura told the Daily Pilot Saturday. “That would be my big fear, like, to push him back further. But I want him to experience a lot of things.”
For years, it seemed most of Melissa and David Lara’s attempts to get their son to try different foods or activities were met with mixed reactions, at best. But the first time Sammy’s parents took him to a swimming lesson, they finally saw him embrace something new…
