INSIGHTFUL! 10-Year-Old Autistic Boy Pens Emotional Poem About Life With Autism
When a fifth-grade teacher in Plattsburgh, New York asked her students to write a poem about themselves in honor of National Poetry Month, she did not anticipate the profound response that came from the insightful mind of one of her students.
Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year-old boy who has Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism) sat down to pen his own poem that turned into a viral message for children with autism around the world.
In the touching poem, Benjamin wrote about life with autism and how ‘odd’ he feels at school.
The poem titled ‘I am’ reads:
”I am odd, I am new, I wonder if you are too,” Benjamin began, as he set out to try to express what it’s like to live with autism.
I hear voices in the air
I see you don’t, and that’s not fair
I want to not feel blue
I am odd, I am new
I pretend that you are too
I feel like a boy in outer space
I touch the stars and feel out of place
I worry what others might think
I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink
I am odd, I am new
I understand now that so are you
I say I, “feel like a castaway”
I dream of a day that that’s okay
I try to fit in
I hope that someday I do
I am odd, I am new.”
READ ALSO: This Touching Article By An Autistic 10-Year-Old Girl Is Guaranteed To Make You Emotional
Benjamin’s parents were moved when they read his poem. In a chat, Benjamin’s dad, Sonny told Today.com:
“At first, we felt sad and hurt that he feels isolated, alone, misunderstood and odd at school. 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.”
Sonny says he hasn’t been writing much lately but enjoys other mediums like drawing and playing music.
READ ALSO: Mum of Autistic Child Pens Story to Encourage Families of Children With Special Needs
Benjamin’s dad shared the poem on his Facebook page in hopes of getting some supportive comments to prove to his son just how inspiring his writing is. And people loved his raw insight into life with autism.
Other autistic patients and parents who have autistic kids share their lives.
Jo Qatana Adell wrote:
Thousands of people write about what it is like to be Autistic. Because we are Autistic. We write every day about the bigotry and ableism we face. We write every day about surviving systematic torture abd punishment in the name of appearing more normal instead of being allowed to communicate and take care of ourselves.
We write every day about how Autistic children are being poisoned with bleach. We write every day about how we have been bullied into our adulthood and are still being bullied.
We write every day about being intelligent, capable human beings who deserve to be treated like human beings and yet everybody gets so surprised that an Autistic kid can express themselves in words. Autistic people if ALL abilities are speaking and mostly we get told to shut up.
This just came at the right time for me and my 8 year son who is also autistic. He told me tonight that some kids in his class said he is the most annoying boy in the whole school. I know my son struggles to fit in or kind of get accepted. This poem will inspire him to accept and know who he is.
Your beautiful and wise poem shows that you, at the early age of 10, have a very special, sensitive and insightful quality that so many will not even develop in adulthood. Treasure your uniqueness and be proud of yourself.
You’ll go far.
Aw what an amazing poem Benjamin, gives me hope with my son morgan , he’s 9 abd can’t write much at all but is so smart, your poem touched me to the heart!☺ xxx thanku for sharing with the world xxx.
That’s amazing. I have a 9 year old son with aspergers and he is very talented too. I don’t know of a child that isn’t as they say “different” could write a poem like that.
Truly awesome! This is a perfect poem, a beautiful poem written straight from the heart of a talented, amazing little boy. My daughter is 13 years old. She has ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome.
I know she feels the same way as you, and I’ll tell you what I tell her. It’s ok to feel the way you feel, but imagine for a moment how plain and boring the world would be without everyone being different. .. all of us have our own uniqueness that makes us all special.
It’s perfectly fine to be you, no one else in the world can be, that’s pretty special considering how many people are in our world! Some day you will feel comfortable in sharing with the world close to you, all of your special gifts that make you, YOU.
I hope today is the day because I’d love to hear more of your poems from your heart, put onto paper. I’m so glad that i got to read your poem Benjamin. Be proud. You did a wonderful job on your assignment! Good Luck to you, and God Bless. Remember to ALWAYS BE BEAUTIFUL YOU!!????☺
