Autism is a complex neurobehavioral disorder where kids have problems with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.
Since they are the ‘odd’ ones out, most of the other kids don’t like to hang out with them or play with them, leaving them to feel more depressed.
That is one of the reasons Autistic people are always the victim of bullying and they are always suffering from inferiority complex.
The fact is, they can understand the situation, can feel the pain of being left alone but still don’t say any word. But one young guy finally spoke his mind out and expressed his feelings in the form of a poem, and has inspired thousands of people.
This is a story of a young boy Benjamin Giroux, who was also suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).point 207 |
One day, his teacher gave a class assignment asking everyone to write a poem starting every sentence with ‘I am’.point 106 | The next day when the teacher read what Benjamin Giroux wrote, she couldn’t stop her tears coming from her eyes.point 207 | 1
The poem goes something like this:
“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.”
The teacher talked to his parents telling them how great the poem was and they said, “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.”
Benjamin’s teacher shared the poem with other staff members and everyone was left heartbroken seeing the pain that the young boy has to go through each and every single day.point 264 |
Everyone shared the poem on social media and within no time it became viral to an extent that it got the attention of the National Autism Association, who also shared the post on their Facebook.point 162 | Everyone was loving and appreciating how talented Benjamin is.point 216 | 1
The poem has made him not only popular but has also helped him gain more confidence. He started working on other hobbies too and started meeting other people and making friends.
Due to “I am Odd” poem, he has won several awards and the poem will also be part of a children’s book.
Share this beautiful poem with your friends and family.
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