Wired the Same

Maybe the robot's LED smile was what inspired Michael to finally react. Or, maybe it was the chippy song it played when he pressed its buttons. Everyone—the engineers, behavioral specialists, and Michael’s teary-eyed parents—observed with joy as he grinned and pressed his forehead to the little machine.

This one was just a toy. With such improvement in Michael’s focus and dexterity, they felt ready to introduce the one that could talk.

But before they could finish taking notes, Michael separated from the robot and, for the first time in his eight years, spoke:

“He says his name's Michael, too.”