Valentino, 11 and Alonzo, 8

Alonzo, left, plays the role of protective brother to Valentino, right, who is on the autism spectrum.

Val and Zo, as their family calls them, share what their mother describes as an “uncanny psychic connection.”

While three years younger, Zo plays the protective role over big brother Val, who has autism. Val is thriving as a result of Zo’s support. Zo encourages Val to try new things and advocates for his inclusion in peer activities, especially when other children struggle to accept Val’s quirks.

“When Val feels included, his entire face lights up,” says mom Liz.

The brothers’ photo shoot brought out lots of smiles and laughter.

“Val didn’t have a concept of what he was walking into,” explains Liz. “It helped immensely that Josh truly connected with the boys and played into their silliness. It is so hard to get both boys to smile for photos. Now, I finally have images that capture what I get to see every day.”

Both Val and Zo are proud of their images, too. They show them to everyone who visits their home and treat the wall art as a museum display.