la landa. >> if you take those interests but just wiggle a little further away from them, slowly but surely, you can bring in new experiences for children. >> reporter: one of those new experiences, real-life interaction with an animated character. this broadway performance of "aladdin" was held specifically for people with autism. jonathan and his mom were eager to attend. >> usually when i go someplace, i'm all stressed out because jonathan is sometimes unpredictable with his behavior. here, i'm not worried at all. >> reporter: owen's love for "aladdin" was so infectious he won the heart of jonathan freeman, the voice of jaffar in the film, who now plays him on broadway. >> the idea has value. ♪ >> reporter: owen's also made other well-known friends. at the new york premiere of "life, animated," he joined his family in a sing-along with award-winning composer alan mankin, who wrote so many of owen's favorite tunes. today at 25, owen is working and living on his own. unlike peter pan, he's happily growing up. >> he changed. but he didn't become less. we just needed to learn who he w

la landa. >> if you take those interests but just wiggle a little further away from them, slowly but surely, you can bring in new ex >> reporter: one of those new experiences, real-life interaction with an animated character. this broadway performance of "aladdin" was held specifically for people with autism. jonathan and his mom were eager to attend. >> usually when i go someplace, i'm all stressed out because jonathan is sometimes unpredictable with his behavior. here, i'm not worried at all. growing up. >> he changed. but he didn't become less. we just needed to learn who he was. ♪ >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm deborah roberts in new york. >>> up next here, the event they call corgi-con. the queen of england not the only one with a soft spot for these little dogs. and you're talking to your doctor about your medication... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. this is humira helping me go further. humira works for many adults. it targets and helps to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra sym

in speaking, though, with or landa police chief john mina today, i asked him what it was that lead officials to make the decision to go in and storm the building. and he said in part that it was the lack of demands on the part of mateen. that he wasn't looking for anything. he made some oblique references to having suicide vests. they believed he might force his hostages to wear them. but that his calm demeanor and his lack of interest in any further discussion left him-- left them, rather, no choice. they made that decision, of ortly after 5 a.m. am qui also tell that you as we big further into mateen's life the orlando sentinel, the paper of record here in the city have spoken to several eye witnesses who say that they actually have seen omar mateen frequent the pulse nightclub in question, as many as a dozen times. they said at times he would sit by himself but at other times he would become drunk, loud and we lige rant. that he would talk and say some rather awful things about his father and that he would also tell patrons that he had a wife and child. so again as officials here dig deep

rebecca landa who spent 20 years working with children with autism says it's important to pay close attentiong to express. >> they can't put together the words from scratch to express their idea. so they're borrowing from the movie. ♪ >> speaking the language of disney to each other. it's like magic. >> reporter: today at 25, owen is working and living on his own. >> he changed. but he didn't become less. we just needed to learn who he was. >> reporter: deborah roberts in new york. ♪ >> quite fascinating to see how it has that kind of impact. >> disney is our parent company, but this isn't just disney movies. they say some kids are focussed on harry potter. others are focussed on dinosaurs. others focussed on "star wars." it's a matter of finding what that particular child's focus is. >> and that documentary, "life animated," was a big hit at sundance, winning the best director award. a fascinating look in their world. in their world. >> coming up, remembering a sporting legend. turns out my curlsthe needed to be stronger. pantene's pro-v formula makes my curls so strong* they can dry practic