An Aging Mother’s Animated Love Letter to Her Autistic Son

“Who would look after him if I wasn’t here?” and other questions this mom asks herself every day.

All parents have conflicted joys and sorrows about their children getting older, but for mothers like Mary, the main caregiver for her 16-year-old autistic son, Joel, that conflict is extra so. Given a lack of resources available to adults on the autism spectrum, the approach to adulthood is a worrisome time for many parents. In this animated short, “Mm-hmm,” Mary and Joel explore the question of how he’ll get on when she is gone.