Poetry is the best way to express emotions through words! When kids are given the task to write a poem, they often release their breathtaking imagination and create a beautiful and creative piece of art. Poetry can really free kids! It gives them a chance to show their voice, their unique style and truly boosts their confidence.
When Benjamin Giroux got the assignment to write poetry for homework, he took the opportunity to reveal his emotions. He wanted to show his classmates and other people what is life like when you have Asperger’s.
Benjamin is from Plattsburgh, New York. He is 10 years old and has Asperger’s disorder. Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication. The syndrome is actually a milder autism spectrum disorder.
Benjamin has to write a poem titled “I Am”. When he finished the poem, everyone who read it, were at a loss for words.
“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,” says his father.
Benjamin’s poem was shared by the National Autism Association and it went viral. It got shared more than 49.000 times.
Since then, young Benjamin has won many awards and his beloved poem was illustrated for a kid’s book. Yet, the biggest reward for him is the feedback he receives from people that have Asperger’s too.
“We try to read him as many comments as we can to show the impact he’s had. It makes him happy too, which is always nice to see. Ben’s goal was to have people understand that being odd is different, and different is amazing, and people shouldn’t be afraid of who they are. And that makes me one proud father!”, says his father.