Temple, an autistic student, watches a short film on optical illusions and is immediately intrigued by it. She sets out to achieve the effects in the movie and does so after much persistence.

Max, a forty-four-year-old, severely obese man who lives in New York, is pen pals with Mary, a lonely eight-year-old girl who lives in the suburbs of Melbourne. He shares more about himself by describing a condition he has: Asperger's Syndrome.

Temple attends a National Autistic Convention and speaks out about autism. The audience enjoys her insight on the topic so much that she is asked to take the stage and speak.

A couple brings their autistic son to Harbor Neuroscience in New Hampshire to seek the advice of a specialized doctor. He provides them with general information about the disorder and encourages the parents to not see their child as less than other children but as different. The doctor strongly urges them not to set low expectations for their son, because perhaps he can exceed them to a degree highly unpredicted.

Charlie and Ray are at a restaurant for breakfast, and Ray irritates Charlie with his repetitive behavior. Ray states that he needs his toothpicks even though he will be eating pancakes. He also demonstrates his savant memory by matching the waitress' name to her phone number in the phone book.