10-Year-Old Boy With Autism Writes Poem For Homework, His Teacher Is At A Loss For Words

Poetry is a combination of techniques that allow writers to express emotions through words. The idea behind the poem is to develop the verse with the help of sound, rhythm, mood, diction, setting to music and title.

Writing poetry frees children and gives them the much-needed confidence to find and show off their own voice and unique style. When children are given the task of writing a poem, they become more creative and insightful, and their imagination soars.

Benjamin Giroux, a perennial student, has Asperger’s. When asked to write a poem for homework, he took the opportunity to reveal his feelings. He wanted to show others what it’s like to live with Asperger’s.

His father, Sonny Giroux, said:

“When we ask him how his day went when he gets home from school, we don’t get much more than a one-word answer.”

But this time he was excited to express his feelings. He sat down at the kitchen table and only looked up when he had finished his poem. When he showed it to his parents and teacher, they were speechless.

This is Benjamin’s poem:

 I am odd, I am new

 I wonder if you are too

 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 outerspace

 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.

We felt sad and hurt that he felt isolated and misunderstood and strange at school. But as the poem went on, we realized that he understood that he was strange in other ways and that Ben just wanted to be embraced. The poem was highlighted and shared by the National Autism Association and went viral. It has been shared more than 49,000 times and tagged with a hashtag.

Benjamin won an award for his masterpiece, an illustrated children’s book, and used a song-inspired tattoo design. But his greatest reward was the feedback he received from those around him who were inspired by his words. We try to read him as many comments as possible to show his impact. It makes him happy, which is nice to see.

Ben’s goal is to make people understand that it is amazing to be different, even though it is strange and different, and that people should not be afraid to be themselves. Dear boy, you are not odd, you are simply purer, and our world needs heroes like you. That makes me a proud father.