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By Mike Lipka, Globe Correspondent
August 17, 2006

Nate Burris stood on the turf at Boston University's Nickerson Field early this month, surrounded by Major League Lacrosse stars and cheerleaders, as he received an award that anointed him a True Lacrosse Hero.

Hyperbole? Not quite. Rarely are an athlete's on-field actions truly heroic, but Burris's battle surely qualifies.

As a young child, the Pepperell native, now 19 and a former backup goalie for the varsity lacrosse team at North Middlesex Regional High in Townsend, was diagnosed with pervasive development disorder, a condition associated with autism that slows development socially, emotionally, and cognitively.

``Any parent that discovers that their child has any kind of disorder, it takes time to assimilate," said Burris's mother, Kim. ``You have to look ahead and try to figure out what you can do to make this child reach his full potential."