Another World

Neuroscience is beginning to explain autism, but it cannot illuminate the intimate side of this disorder: the day-to-day experiences of a child with a brain that works in unusual ways. These evocative pictures, taken by photographer Timothy Archibald with his son Eli, attempt to bridge that gap. At age 5 Eli was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an umbrella term for developmental disabilities that manifest in difficulties with communication and social interaction. Today Eli has a big vocabulary and does well in school, but in other domains his reliance on logic and rule systems can seem strange.