An excerpt from the AP -
'I am here' - Silenced by autism, young man finds his voice
Apr. 24, 2016 12:18 AM EDT
Benjamin Alexander cannot speak, but he is determined to be heard. He cannot type without a hand to support his, and yet he writes and writes, his inner voice shouting out his thoughts. He returns repeatedly to the "fiend" that tried to silence him, the autism he sarcastically calls his "gift."
"Who in the hell gave me this gift?" he once wrote. "Please, take it back."
Ben is a junior at Tulane University, an English major with a 3.7 GPA and a computer full of essays, one of them published in a local journal and another on the university's news site. He wants to help educate people about autism and challenge stereotypes. That's not easy because he still needs some assistance when he types, leading some to doubt him over the years.
On a recent evening, Ben's father settles him at the keyboard and rests his hand under his son's arm. He lightly squeezes Ben's forearm, a subtle move that sets him into action. Ben begins to punch the keys with one finger.
http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:34993946f50443cfbc98e7e2b9f0675b
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