A 10-Year Wrote A Powerful Poem That Provides A Window Into Life With Autism

10-year-old Benjamin Giroux was given a homework assignment to write a poem.  The poem began with “I am” and “I wonder” as a prompt to help the students get started.

Benjamin used the assignment to create a touching message that explained how he felt in the world and it brought tears to his parents’ eyes.

His father, Sonny Giroux, told The Huffington Post, “We were both so proud, and yet so heartbroken, that this was how he felt.”

“I am odd, I am new / I wonder if you are too / I hear voices in the air,” Benjamin wrote. “I see you don’t, and that’s not fair / I want to not feel blue / I am odd, I am new.”

The National Autism Association posted Benjamin’s poem on Facebook last week and as of today, the post has been liked over 40,000 times and has over 30,000 shares.

Sonny wanted to share his son’s work so other parents with children on the spectrum could better understand how their children might be feeling.

His father also wanted to show Benjamin that he is not odd or alone and that his diagnosis is not going to hold him back.

It’s amazing to see the positive feedback and reaction that Benjamin and his parents received and has really helped Benjamin know that he belongs and does fit into the world.