This Is Tommy (A Story Of A Boy With Autism)

This is Tommy.

When he was small, he'd make piles of shoes around the house.

This is Tommy.

He used to have a string that he named Bing. Bing went everywhere with him for a while.

This is Tommy.

He loved to stack his Mega Bloks as well as staking the shoes. If they fell over, he'd flip out.

This is Tommy.

I knew from the very beginning that he was going to be incredible. I could see it in his expression. I used to think, "Why would I be given a child with special needs when I was only a child myself?" (I had him at nineteen.) But I was given Tommy for a reason. I know I was.

This is Tommy.

When he started Kindergarten, he was overwhelmed and had many meltdowns. I received phone calls almost daily about them.

This is Tommy.

An IEP is what helped him calm down in school. When teachers knew how to help him, things went better. He still has issues, but not as many as before.

This is Tommy.

Now that he's in middle school, he's pretty quiet in school, and doesn't have a lot of friends.

This is Tommy.

He might be quiet at school, but he will communicate when playing video games. He even has his own Youtube channel.

This is Tommy.

And he's happy he's not a girl.

This is Tommy.

When he's not playing video games, he'll sometimes draw. He's better at it than I ever was.

This is Tommy.

He's a good big brother even though he says his sister is too loud for him. But he does say he loves her "a little bit."

This is Tommy.

And for a while, one of his obsessions was learning about the weather. He could tell you anything about the clouds.

This is Tommy.

He probably will never go to any of his school dances, but it's okay, because I'll dance with him.

This is Tommy.

He's amazing. And smart. And fabulous.

And if you let him.

He could be the best friend you ever had.