This is Benjamin Giroux. He’s a 10-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome who attends Cumberland Head Elementary School in Plattsburgh, New York.

This week, his teacher asked her students to write a poem about themselves, beginning every few sentences with “I am.”

Benjamin barely talks, but his parents said he couldn’t wait to start writing. He sat down at the kitchen table and didn’t look up until he was finished. A few hours later, he showed the poem to his parents, who immediately got choked up.

“At first, we felt sad and hurt that he feels isolated, alone, misunderstood and odd at school,” Giroux told TODAY. “As the poem went on, we realized that he understands that he’s odd and that so is everyone else in their own way, which is what Ben wants everyone to embrace.”

Have a read below.

4eqj2-autism-poem-2

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens.

About the Author

Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *