In the midst of the pandemic’s darkness are three bright shining lights in the autism community. These adults and children with autism have been making a tremendous difference in the world. From Philadelphia to the UK, these three stories show us our all our hearts are connected, no matter how socially isolated we may be.
Flying High for Charity
14-year old Jack Berry, who is a child with ASD and selectively mute, has always loved aviation. He originally was inspired by his grandfather’s work on Concorde, but last summer, he had inspiration of his very own. When he began drawing airplanes during the pandemic, he had an idea to create a book, whose proceeds will be donated to military charities. The Royal Air Force’s Adam Collins, the squadron leader of Red Arrows, has called Jack’s work “inspirational.”
The book, Flying High in the Sunlit Silence, brings to life a wide array of aircraft through Jack’s illustrations and textual collaboration with high-flying collaborators. Each model shares details about its history, penned by military pilots, experts, Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and David Coulthard, as well as Red Bull designer Adrian Newey.
Speaking with the BBC, Jack’s mother Sara Berry shared that he has always drawn, “either to calm himself down or as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to someone. The pandemic has been draining for me as a parent and for Jack, but this has given us a chance to bond.”
The book’s proceeds will be donated to Jack’s choice of three charities, including the SSAFA’s Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum, International Bomber Command Centre, and Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association. The book is now available on Amazon UK.
Seven Year Old Santa Claus
This last Christmas, a seven year old child with autism named Rasul Bey became a young Santa. When he saw that his school in Philadelphia was running a toy drive, he felt greatly called to contribute. He had been saving money for his own dream toy – a Nintendo Switch – but decided to use his savings and contributions from friends and family to buy gifts for other children instead.
Rasul’s mom, who normally works as a school bus monitor but has been unemployed since the beginning of COVID, found her unemployment benefits running out. When Rasul asked if Santa would be bringing him a Nintendo Switch, she had to gently remind him that Santa likely would be unable to give him the gaming system this year. Nonetheless, the young boy still decided to use all his money to buy toys for other children, and he brought 300 toys to donate at his school, the Philadelphia Charter School of Arts and Sciences in Northwood.
When the Philadelphia Inquirer shared Rasul’s sweet story, many wanted to buy the Nintendo gaming system for the generous boy, and the Lerman family brought one to him in time for Christmas.
Planting Seeds of Kindness
Paige’s Kindness Project has been making her community in Delaware a better place every day for the last four years. Paige Howell’s life motto is: “If we all do one act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.” Each day, she has been donating gifts and time to the entire community, from the homeless shelter to local businesses and many people in between.
Paige’s mother, Lillian Frey, shared that her family discovered how much serving others boosted their own spirits, especially during difficult times in Paige’s youth as a child with ASD. “We just keep moving forward,” Lillian said. “If we’re having a really bad day around here, everybody just snaps into [a] mode of ‘OK, let’s make something good out of a bad situation,’” Lillian told Delaware Online.
Paige’s heartfelt need to help other people is a driving force in her daily life. She can be found bringing food to the homeless, lifting the spirits of the elderly, or finding ways to encourage local police officers. For Valentine’s Day this year, she made lovely bouquets of lollipops planted in flowerpots to bring joy to local businesses.
Through Paige’s lovingkindness, people know they are not alone, especially important during this pandemic. Her vision is to create a non-profit organization with larger charity projects that will employ a team of differently abled people like her.
Paige’s Kindness Project can be supported via donations on her GoFundMe page. Her desire to “plant kindness like wildflowers” will surely bloom and spread.
Your Child’s Heart
Your child’s heart, interests, and talents are a roadmap for how to contribute to your community. Your family can brainstorm ideas on how your child would like to serve the community. Would he like to draw cards to bring joy to frontline workers? How about making homemade play dough to give to neighborhood kids? Baking cookies and visiting an elderly neighbor? Making seed bombs and beautifying an empty lot? Many ideas can bloom from your child’s interests. These contributions will make the world a better place, as well as enhance your child’s social skills and independence they have been working on in ABA therapy. You’ll also find it a beautiful way for your family to bond together!
