Sunday, November 6, 2016

8 Facts About My Teenager With Autism

My son has autism. I've written about how he's skipped dances, how I'm worried he might not be getting a proper high school experience, and how I worry he might never drive.

But he's also an amazing kid. He might not be a "typical" teenager, but that's okay.

He's Tommy.

He's my son.









1. He only drinks water about 95% of the time. He says soda is too spicy in his mouth. He does get a juice box with his lunch at school, but it has to be fruit punch or orange flavored. Other than that, it's always water.


2. He can't take it if his sister gets upset. Or anyone, for that matter. I worry how he'll ever get a job because if a customer is disappointed, he can't exactly have a meltdown like he does now. For example, if his sister is being naughty and I have to speak sharply to her, he starts to shout, "Just KNOCK IT OFF, NATALIE! KNOCK IT OFF!" and slams his door. If he sees I'm upset about something, he reminds me that "it's not that bad. No one died. Stop it." He's going to have to find a very understanding girlfriend...




3. He doesn't like cheese on his burger. I'll always tell the waiter "no cheese" but sometimes the burger arrives at the table with cheese, and Tommy gets offended. "But I said no cheese like five times!" He says the melted cheese gets stuck in his teeth and he can't take that feeling.


4. He can draw really well! I'm not sure where he gets it because I can't even draw a stick person properly:




5. It freaks him out when people are sick. He stays far away or covers his nose because he thinks breathing in someone's sick breath will immediately make him sick. He tells sick people "not to touch him."


6. He hates sharing drinks because of germs. I once tried to share a water bottle with him and he about flipped out. "But that's gross. I don't want your germs!" I reminded him that he CAME OUT OF ME but he didn't care.


7. He used to not be able to touch Playdough. When he was three, the sight of it made him want to gag. With therapy he was able to touch it. But sometimes things still freak him out. Like pumpkin guts:



8. He's amazing! He doesn't let autism get him down. He even has his own YouTube channel where he makes videos on what life with autism is like. He did this one about having autism and being in high school:






Do you know someone with autism?

110 comments:

  1. Aw this actually melted my heart a fair bit! His drawing also looks amazing, especially for his age! 1000 kudos to him!

    xx Heather
    stormywheather.com

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  2. Looks like a future professional artist to me! ): So talented! Many times better than anything I could do!

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  3. Wow! He is a talented artist! Would love to see more of his works!!

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  4. He'd make a great lawyer.
    I've seen his YouTube videos and he's so passionate about what he loves. He's going to do great in life mom!

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  5. Wow he can draw a perfect lips! I understand his #6 I don't share bottle with others too.

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  6. I came across your blog by searching military spouse blogs, after my fiancé took a job with the army. Myself, I work with the special needs population. I am really enjoying your blog on so many levels. It's the first "milspouse" blog I've found that I can actually relate to. Thank you!

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  7. This is a great article! I have several friends with autism and have worked in the school system. Your son is lucky to have such a great advocate!

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  8. My best friends son has sever autism. Life is difficult. He has zero social skills and was just told he can no longer go to public school so he is looking for a special needs school for him. It's very stressful.

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  9. He is such a talented artist! He should definitely keep it up!

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  10. Einstein was borderline autistic too and I have heard that borderline autism can make them brilliant. And I love the fact that, he is already a budding artist.

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  11. This post fills my heart with so much happiness. I loved reading his story through your eyes!

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  12. I love his advice about gym and showers. I too hated taking showers in gym.

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  13. I agree with the above poster Tommy is a talented artist encourage Tommy to go into the career in drawing or graphic arts. I wish Tommy would draw a portrait of my cat Scampie who unfortunately just died back in September

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    1. Thanks Amber Scampie was 15 yrs old raised him since he was a kitten. Unfortunately he had to be suddenly put down due to congestive heart failure. However f you want to view Scampies life go to you tube and it's Nader Scampie Scampiesworld. Scampie was a very charismatic handsome cat which you will see n his you tube videos. Still mssng and grieving for my best friend in the whole world.Feel free to subscribe to Scampies channel on you tube in honor of his memory. I think your daughter would love Scampie if she watched Scampie on video Tommy too

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    2. Sorry for some typos above in response to your note Amber just wanted to make some typo corrections The first correction should read the word if instead of just the letter f itself. Then the word should read under not Nader and missing not mssng

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    3. I'm sure my kids would love Scampie. They are a big fan of cats :)

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    4. Well encourage the kids to go and subscribe to Scampies you tube page in honor of his memory

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  14. Love this! I cannot draw to save my life.

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  15. one other thing he is so lucky to have a cheerleader like you. He has lots of talent as well. But without a support system he may not have gone as far So awesome job to you as well
    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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  16. His drawings are amazing. It's good you've got some workarounds to his sensory aversions.

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  17. Wow, I can't believe he drew that! That's incredible.

    This sounds all too familiar to the kiddos I work with! I love them - they are quite a special bunch!

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  18. I can relate to him in everything but #1 and #3 ( yes that's right everything but junk food!). I hate it when sick people frolic around! What is it with those people? Does every virus have to get pandemic? Yuck! I also hate it when people exchange bodily fluids for no reason what so ever! And don't get me started on double dippers! You know the ones that lick their utensils and dip them again in the jar-plate-salad-icecream!
    I find him absolutely adorable! His eyes are just dreamy, I could totally see myself falling for him when I was in high school! I always fell for the cute guys! I am absolutely certain we will have an awesome life! Mostly because he has an awesome mom!

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    1. ..okay.. I meant he!! He will have an awesome life!My typo made my comment really weird!

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  19. Oh my! What a talented artist you have there! He is such a cutie too!
    I know a few children (now young adults) who went to school with my kids and are autistic. I remember one of the children also had sensory sensitivity. Heck, I remember walking into the school thinking don't touch anything. Ugh...When you think of all those germs.

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  20. Wow his drawing is great! I have worked with children with autism and learned a lot it those two years.

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  21. That's wonderful! I've never met anyone with autism personally but your kid seems pretty nice. I loved the drawing :)

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  22. He is so talented and that's amazing!! You don't have to worry, he will find a really good job and he won't have troubles there.

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  23. Great post! It's inspiring to hear that he never let autism let him down. I think it's so awesome that he has his own youtube channel. Keep up with the good work kiddo!

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  24. Wow, he sounds like one cool kid! He can draw so well, he can definitely find a job doing something with art! I get upset when people ar mad too, I don't blame him!

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  25. One of the many reasons I do enjoy reading your blog is the way you write about your children they are both really cool although I would have found Natalie a handful to babysit lol if I knew you in real life lol. Oh and I adore your cats too Max and Ruby . Continue keeping it real Amber would have loved to have met you in real life.

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    1. Thank you. I appreciate that. And yes, Natalie is a handful, that's for sure.

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    2. Oh I am Petrom66 on Instagram I think we already follow one another there if not feel free to follow me there

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  26. I love, love your post. My 4yo has ASD and also says that soft drinks are too spicy for him. He sounds like a great kid!

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  27. Tommy is so incredible! Aven is exactly the same way when someone gets sick! He will quarantine himself because he hates getting sick!

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  28. Your son is amazing! He is quite the talented artist. I enjoyed seeing his work!

    Beth || www.TheStyleBouquet.com

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  29. Your son is so adorable! He's a truly wonderful!

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  30. I believe that your son is very talented and has a remarkable personality. It is so obvious that he has a wonderful and supportive family.

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  31. Very talented! That is great that he has a YouTube channel where he can talk about life. I enjoyed reading about your son. Thanks for sharing.

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  32. What an amazing son you have! He sounds so kind-hearted. I think it's a good thing that he mostly drinks water instead of soda.

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  33. Sounds like a great kid. :) My son is 3 and he has Down syndrome and I myself don't know how things will work out in the future. I leave it out there and just have faith that everything will turn out fine. :)

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  34. OMG he is awesome 😊 my cousin's son is on spectrum and he is so oo smart

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  35. Such a great post, you're an awesome mom! I agree with him that water is the best drink and sharing drinks is gross! :) -Erin at www.stayathomeyogi.com

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  36. Awww this was actually an educational piece for me I am understanding a bit everyday.
    Made me chuckle when you told him he came out of you and didn't care much lol 😂 no germs mummy lol

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  37. I'm exactly the same about the cheese. I hate cheese and sometimes have to special order food that then arrives with cheese. The staff are then puzzled when I reject it.

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  38. I work with kids diagnosed with autism almost daily. I only drink water and I agree with drinking after other people.

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  39. What an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing with us all!

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  40. He's just like everybody else but also unique in a way that makes him adorable and special! I am such a clean freak and I know how it feels when it comes to sharing drinks and all that.

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  41. What an amazing and inspiring young man. Each child is beautiful no matter what uniqueness they have.

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  42. What an amazing young man!! I am right there with him on Pumpkin guts, I can't handle touching them at all.

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  43. The drawing is incredible. And I'm water 95% of the time too!!!
    Pumpkin guts are kinda gross...

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  44. It is so great to see him coping and learning, but especially not letting autism define him! Way to go mama for raising such a great kiddo who can show the world that autism isn't an end all be all. (Commenting for Jay Simms)

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  45. He is amazing and he's really got a talent with drawing, I hope he pursues that to further develop his skills. He's going to be an amazing artist!

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  46. Thanks for sharing. My nephew is autistic and it has been a growing experience for our family.

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  47. His artwork is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing it and him with the world.

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  48. His artwork is pretty awesome, talented boy you have!

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  49. His drawing is amazing hopefully he expands more into arts as he gets older! I'm totally with him on the sick people also

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  50. This is such a great post, that you for sharing these personal details with us

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  51. Tommy is awesome! His drawing skills are incredible. I liked his video, he's so passionate about what he's talking about. And I totally am with him on the pumpkin guts, they gross me out too!

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  52. A beautiful article post about your son. God Bless. He does amazing. His drawing is incredible.

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  53. This is so interesting! What an amazing boy and you sound like an amazing mon as well. I am sure you are very proud to have him as a soon :)

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  54. This is so interesting to read about! I have a friend that has a child with autism and he is special in every single way just like any other.

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  55. Amber, I think it is amazing Tommy has his own YouTube Channel to share his life experience with Autism! How cool!! I don't like sharing drinks or food with people, either. I completely understand Tommy's objection with this! Great post, Amber!

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  56. I do not think there are any "typical" teenagers out there, especially nowadays, but your son is beautiful! You are one lucky mom :) xo

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  57. What a great post! And darn right he is amazing! Good on you for writing about him in this light :)

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  58. You are courageous and he can really draw!! Yana Magram, aka Jen Nei at www.careerchickturnedmom.com

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  59. What a fantastic kiddo! He's going to do something amazing!!!

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  60. What a great blog post. He is meant for great things!

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  61. As a teacher I know they are very smart and caring!!!
    this such a great post.

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  62. He is so talented :D This is a lovely post :D

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  63. Ugh this is so amazing and heartfelt. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your son's life.

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  64. So much talent, I am impressed! What a great post, thank you so much for sharing. I have a cousin with autism, and his family helps him run his own small cafe business. It's amazing what they can do!!

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  65. He's incredibly talented at drawing, those lips he drew are just amazing! I hope he can get a job that allows him to use that talent. Artistic professions also tend to be more welcoming to unconventional personalities, so being a graphic designer or something similar could be a fantastic career choice for him. Does he think about that?
    And he's also very smart. Soda is not good for you, and staying away from sick people or avoiding to share drinks are good ways to prevent an epidemic. He sounds like a really great kid!

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  66. Aww Tommy is such a wonderful and handsome young man! And I'm sure he will make a very great artist, that was beautiful! Don't worry, he will be always guided by the almighty and he'll meet someone who will love him unconditionally like you. BTW, I like your header photo, cute!

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  67. He was a cool guy. And he was so funny, got a lot of sense of humor. It seems like he knows a lot than some other guys of his age.

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  68. What a great post. He seems like a great kid.

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  69. Ew, I don't like sharing drinks either. I totally get that one! Loved learning more about him today.

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  70. Your sons seems like a very well rounded person and love his personality and kindness in this post! And you're right...he does draw really well! I truly enjoyed reading about your son!

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  71. He's so talented. That drawing is great! I love that he made this video too. I enjoyed watching it. I love that he touched on bullying and provided tips. I truly believe this will help other kids with autism have a voice out there and know that there is someone to look up to that understands.

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  72. My son works with autism children everyday. Interesting to hear from a lot parents about their own children and what works for them

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  73. This is really heart felt and I loved every bit of it, Tommy is one talented bot and will grow to become an awesome man whether anybody likes it or not.

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  74. What a sweet post, you must be so proud of him. He is such a talented drawer! How fun he has his own Youtube channel too :)

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  75. Your son is an incredible artist! What a great drawing, you'll have to show us some more of his work. Thanks for sharing these things about him, I don't know any teens with autism.

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  76. I actually don't like cheese on my burger either :) and if an office environment isn't for him, maybe he could do a work at home job?

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  77. HIs drawing skills are incredibly impressive! Those lips are so realistic and the shading is perfect.

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    1. I was looking at that and thinking the same, drawing is something I always wished I could do but couldn't.

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  78. Thanks for sharing these facts about your son. His drawing is truly breathtaking. You should totally frame some of his masterpieces!

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  79. What a fabulous young man! What an artist! I really enjoy reading your posts about autism and your son. It helps so many of us to understand a condition that would otherwise remain unfamiliar.

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  80. What an amazing young man!! I am right there with him on Pumpkin guts, I can't handle touching them at all.Lovely one and i didnt expect that you will point out such a wonderful article with this kid . It is so heart warming and appreciative one. Lovely article

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  81. Last point is the best one! Nothing should be able to bring a growing kid down, love his spirits. And his lip drawing is simply amazing.

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  82. You have an incredible kid there Amber and his sounds amazing to me, I too don't like cheese on my burger I don't like the taste of it

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  83. Your boy is such an inspiration to other young kids with autism. I know someday more people will understand this situation with awareness like this. You did well as a mom! You should be proud.

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  84. Tommy definitely rocks. He is a winner all the way. I have seen some of his videos and it is great to see his spirit. A happy 2018 to you, Tommy and the entire family.

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  85. he sounds like a lucky boy to have such a supportive mother! he seems to like an incredible boy despite some challenges. His channel is really impressive and I'm sure he is helping lots of people by sharing videos like that!

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  86. Pumpkin guts totally freak me out too. His drawing skills are incredible, my stick people are ugly too. Kudos to him for embracing who he is.

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  87. I have been reading many of your posts about Tommy and all I can say is he is indeed a gift and a special person. A very talented and passionate one. He does wonders and who would taught that he has an autism. Can I just say he is very lucky to have you and I guess you too is so lucky to have him.

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  88. He is very talented, he has a gift in art! I won't be surprise if I see one of his great art piece in the future.

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  89. He sounds like such a sweet boy! His drawing is amazing - I can't even believe his talent. I wish I could draw like that!

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  90. He sounds like a dream to be around. You are such a wonderful and caring mother.

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  91. He is such a talented boy. I hope he really enjoys drawing because it can be a great therapy. I know two autism boys, they go to kindergarten with my daugther and they are lovely. You are a great mother and I wish you and your family all the best.

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  92. He is such a talented artist. I have two family members with autism - both younger than Tommy and I can see the similarities. The one even describes pop as being "spicy"! I love reading about Tommy - he seems like an amazing person who I would really like!

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  93. Your son is AMAZING. He is clearly a very talented artist and a very compassionate young man. People like him will make the world a better place...even if he doesn't like pumpkin guts (I don't blame him...it feels SO WEIRD!).

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  94. I have two cousins with autism and each one is extremely creative. Your son sounds amazing!

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  95. The optimistic and assured vibes from this video give me hope for my 8 year old autistic granddaughter. Right now she's answering questions by quoting programs and videos she's seen on YouTube. You can imagine the looks she gets when she does that. Hopefully she'll have the language/vocal skills of your son by the time she reaches highschool.

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  96. He sounds like such a sweet kid! My cousin has a problem with texture as well. She can't touch anything with a grainy texture (like sand) or she will gag.

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  97. He's sounds like a great kid. And sometimes we need that reminder as parents to calm down when we're upset.

    Also, his video on autism in high school is quite entertaining. Who knows, he might be an announcer someday.

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  98. He's so artistic! Love how he's able to really get all the details when he sits down with a pencil and paper

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  99. He's very talented. The drawing of that mouth is very realistic. He sounds like such a wonderful brother to.

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Thanks for the comment!

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