When Joshua Littman and his mother, Sarah, first came to StoryCorps in 2006, Joshua was a seventh-grade honors student who was having a tough time socially.

Joshua was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), formerly referred to as Asperger’s Syndrome. Kids with ASD can miss social cues and often have obsessions. For Joshua, it was animals.

Joshua started college in fall of 2011, and found himself struggling again. So Sarah brought him back to StoryCorps, where they talked about what it has been like for both of them since Joshua left for school.

Click here to watch our animated short based on the Littman’s first interview.

Originally aired November 8, 2011, on NPR’s Morning Edition.