Living with Autism

Austyn Rocha was diagnosed with a mild form of autism at the age of five. Autism has made it hard for Austyn to focus on school and be patient in class. However, this year he has shown great improvement in the classroom.

“These past few years I can see the changes he’s making. If you sit with him, he works so well,” said Austyn’s former teacher Victoria Molina. 

All of this is possible with the love and support that he gets from his family. They make sure to show a great amount of patience with Austyn and always remind him how special he really is.

“I bring him to the room before I go to bed. I say first, ‘Austyn, who’s the boss?’ He says, ‘I’m the boss.’ I say, ‘Who is handsome?’ He says, ‘I am.’ I say, ‘who is going to be somebody when he grows up?’ And he says ‘Me,'” said Austyn’s dad Art Rocha.

Austyn brings so much joy and life into all of his friends and family’s lives with his larger-than-life personality. With his amazing heart and hard work, the sky’s the limit for him. 

Over 75 million people in the world have autism, which may seem like a large number. But it does come in a different range and severity. Every single one of them is special, just like Austyn.