Am I Still Autistic? How a Low-Functioning, Slightly Retarded Toddler Became the CEO of a Multi-Million Dollar Corporation Autism does not have to be a life sentence. John Hall knows. As a toddler, he lived in his own private world, flipping light switches, flushing toilets, banging pans, avoiding eye contact, and babbling unintelligibly. Today, he is CEO and co-owner of a national communications firm based in Southern California, where he lives with his wife and two children. Full description