When Autism Speaks | Benji Gans | TEDxTheBenjaminSchool
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- Опубликовано: 18 апр 2017
- When Benji was diagnosed with autism, his parents were told he would never speak. However, he took the stage at TEDxTheBenjaminSchool Muthos and earned a standing ovation. Watch and be inspired by both Benji and his incredible mother, Debby Gans, as they recount their journey.
Benji Gans is a seventh grader at Meyer Academy. He is fluent in Hebrew, plays several instruments, and has an uncanny memory for details. His peers refer to him as Ben-gps because he can tell you how to get anywhere in the United States even if he has only been there once. Benji was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was three years old. Learning to talk was extremely challenging for him. Many experts wondered whether Benji would ever learn to communicate. Now, a decade later, Benji has a remarkable ability to articulate what it is like to have autism and how he has managed to overcome many obstacles at such a young age.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
He already outclassed me because I did not speak till I was 5. I did not get along well in school, often getting kicked out, but eventually I earned my PhD in math and physics so I think Benji can do things I could never do when he grows up.
Thank you so much for your comment i have a 5 yr old daughter on The spectrum and I just felt so hopeless but God bless you ...this comment has given me hope that she can grow and become so much more than what doctors say....thank you
Where r u live??? Where u get study .. my 2 kids r slow learner i am so sad what r theh doing in life
@@islamicworld585 live in Delaware and I graduated from Delaware State University in 2009 with my PhD in interdisciplinary applied mathematics and mathematical physics. Teaching math at two universities paid less than minimum wage for adjunct faculty and when the other graduate student became chair of the math department at another university and hired me as a temporary visiting professor. Unfortunately he required me to do favors for him which cost me more and more and caused his bill collectors to come after me. I could not get help from HR so I quit before he could cause me to lose my home from losing most of my take-home pay. Now I do temporary jobs for a temporary agency but I only last a few months at a time because I cannot seem to communicate with people at work. One job I was prevented from was an audio-video retailer because they were selling loudspeaker cables for hundreds of dollars with easy to disprove junk science physics through calculations in my saved electricity and magnetism textbooks and I was not willing to lie to customers to cheat them out of their money; I never want to be like the chair of the math department who was upset when I left and cut off his gravy train.
I am a Chinese, I am the father of a two-year-old, my child can not speak now, the diagnosis of the hospital also suspected autism, see your comments, I feel hope, thank you very much, I am a Chinese, I am the father of a two-year-old, my child can not speak now, the diagnosis of the hospital also suspected autism, see your comments I feel hope. Thank you very much
Hi Robert, can we talk please? I need your thought with my two and half year old.
You are hope ! In tears benji bless your heart . Hugs to your parents. Good job 👍
This is going to be my Jorryn someday!!! Tears of joy fill my eyes while watching this💙💙💙💙Thank you Jesus for all these special kids and adults you create! Benji you are amazing 💙❤💜💚
I know the feeling this little boy has brought hope back for me and my son Omari
Hes sooo fricken cute with his obliviousness to his speech volume level 😄🥰
Listening to his mannerisms is hilarious to me because its like watching me at his age. The over exaggerated ups and downs in his voice, along with the awkward laughs and the acute specifications on details.
I have many many things to say that hopefully will help someone else. As do all of us on the spectrum. Even if we don't have verbal ability, we may be able to type, or sign, or pick words from a tablet to speak. The main "problem" with working so hard on teaching us to communicate, is getting us to shut up after we learn how to speak. 😂
A year late, but still I wish you all the luck! Sending prayers for you and Jorryn!
Every person with autism is unique. Also, each age comes with its successes and challenges. There is no guarantee that what works for one person will work for another. Love is never the wrong answer.
Notice something conspicuous here. Benji uses standard English when he speaks. He displays none of the NT speech impediments such as "you know," "I'm like," "I mean," or describing every verb with the adverb "literally." How many normal adults can speak so well?
Cute kid, thanks for sharing 👍
This young man is an inspiration!
Thank You for sharing your journey!
Thank You for your bravery and courage to be on stage!Thank You for being in this video! Thank You for
showing how powerful love is!
This kid made me cry...God Bless you dear one...
Benji is beyond awesome!! How fantastic..I was so moved by Benji's presentation! It was groundbreaking and will be an inspiration to countless people. What wonderful parents and sister
Benji has. Kudos to you all and especially Benji!!
I wanna meet him (I’m autistic myself)
I have a 13 year old undiagnosed and I started to cry watching this. He is a mirror image of my son.
Hi maam at what age your son started to speak...?
@@jamunasharma1958 age 3 but he was using words that were unique to him because he couldn't say them properly
My son is 4 but couldnt speak...
im nearly 14 and am almost a mirror of teh kid here lol. minus the instrument and foreign language thing
God bless you child. You gave me so much hope.
Benji is 100 kinds of awesome.
Love , Love Love is the key ..
Amazing speaker, very informative. Absolutely amazing 👏
i just found out that my daughter (and probabsly me too) is autistic. i love Benjis talk!!!!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed my talk! I hope you and your daughter are doing ok during these trying times.
I've recently been told that my son who is 6 and has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder will never catch up cognitively and intellectually. He is in kindergarten a year late and while the other kids are learning to read my son is struggling to hold a pencil right and doesn't understand numbers or letters yet. I'm told he will eventually learn to read etc but will NEVER catch up to his neurotypical peers academically or in other ways. I had hope because at one point i thought he would be non verbal but over the last two years he's gone from mommy and pappa no and hi as his vocabulary to speaking in full sentences that i can understand. So i was like wow he's really gained so much and made huge advancement over the last two years maybe this means he'll eventually catch up and have a mostly normal life. But then the experts and medical professionals tell me that it is completely unrealistic for me to expect that. It's so frustrating and hurtful to be told that. I have to believe that he has hope if i try.
I love him so much and i look at him and see so much love and beauty inside him where others only see how hard it is when he has violent meltdowns and only see his deficits in comparison to his neurotypical peers.
Try not to listen to NEVER. This is often told to parents. The thing is no-one knows what someone can or can't achieve. I work with kids who have different challenges and with the right support they can achieve, they often can do more than we think. Don't give up hope. Fight for as much support and different therapies as you can. There are loads of resources online, try different experimenting with these. Use lots of visuals and be persistent, keep going showing numbers, singing songs about numbers, using visuals, watching videos. Holding a pencil is something that can come later. Think any small win is a win, celebrate it. Even ifs it's only 1 2 , whatever you do try not to worry and compare against other kid's development. You've got this! And trust me the right people will see what you see. I always say reduce the noise, reduce the stimulation, and that will avoid the meltdowns. Calm and persistence is needed. Sometimes the teachers need training, and the need to find a space he can go when he feels overwhelmed. Finally, most neurodiverse children may have deficits but this means they will also have above-average strengths, that's how the brain works. It might not be savant-like but there will be something, keep watching you'll see.
Thank you!
Hi Tania how's ur son doing now ?
Mostly the same. Covid has been difficult for all of us but especially for him as he just doesn't understand why the people and experiences that were a part of his life were suddenly gone. And as such his progress was halted for the last year Slowly though he somewhat adjusted and finally this week he is back in school and getting services again so i am hopeful things are going to be much better this year.
Thank you for asking.
I wish people would share more positive stories. When looking up autism it's always about the signs to look for and evaluations. People don't talk about the success stories and how to improve. My daughter is only 3 and didn't start saying her first words until 2months before she turned 3. She started school and is 3years, 3 months. She is now starting to communicate with us with her limited vocabulary and often surprises me with new words she has learned. We are from a trilingual family and the multiple languages confused her. Once we started speaking only English she started blooming. We are in a unique situation and it's hard to find advice that fits our particular situation. I hope people keep sharing their positive experiences so we can learn from each other and give our kids a boost in the right direction
Oh Benji look at you go!!! your video was a required watch for a college-level psychology course! Thanks for sharing your story you did amazing I am so proud of you!
I ADORE this! And believe.. my son is in every therapy possible... my mom was told my brother who is schizophrenic would be lucky to finish high school.. he now had a masters...I want to thank you for sharing this amazing speech and story! You are amazing ❤
Bravo Benji. Tu es une perle.
Trying not to cry, trying not to cry, trying not to cry.......
You are amazing Benji. Thank you for this inspiring speech. You are so charismatic & so intelligent. Thank you for your wisdom 🙏
You are giving me HOPE for me son!
We all have the ability to learn but that doesn’t mean we all do it the same way. We need to care more and be more effective in the way we teach others. It’s okay to ask, to be creative, silly. Love makes everything better.
The level of innocence and forthrightness of Benji is the trait that is so pure ..
Amazing thank you for sharing your story! It gives me hope for my autistic son!
Your very brave lad and I look up to you I'm 29 this year
Benji, you are an absolute inspiration & remarkable human - and God bless your parents for never giving up!!! 😭❤️😇 My third/youngest child is 12 and on the spectrum, and is such an incredible person. I am going to share your video and presentation with him. 🤩
Too good benji.....god bless you son...
I am from India, my son is also autistic he is six years old....
Thanks for the support from India! This is me, the one who gave the Tedx Talk.
@@benjigans1419 Weldon son, I wish one day my son become like you....
What a great story. I love Benji's positive energy! It's contagious!
Violin
Alto Saxophone
Piano
Hebrew
You are a fine young man, Benji.
Little by little, inch by inch. We crawl before we walk. We walk before we run. We run to win the race.
You are a winner, Benji.
❤️
Amazing 👏 Great job Benji and extra kudos to momma for leading the way!
What an inspirational young man and family.
You have helped me. Thank you, Benjie. Well done.
This Is one of the best videos I saw in a long time, big love from Argentina, and thx to all of you
The only thing autism transmit is hope !!!
Great message 💙
This talk was just amazing! Thank you 😊
its terrible saying its a grim diagnosis. My mother told me it was my gift and im special. I grew up with no help and I went on to be an excel student in High School. You just have a pea sized knowledge about the condition, and your son will obviously grow up thinking he is different. I am successful and happy because of and not to spite my differences.
Im now a married pc engineer, im 27. Dont coddle him too much or he wont ever move out because he wont know how to function without you.
Dolly Doll whilst I appreciate your point of view on the matter - personally I didn’t know what my differences were and have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety from my early teens throughout adulthood all because I didn’t know why I was different or how to explain it to anyone around me. I’m clever and I can pretend to be normal but I have meltdowns on occasion when I get overwhelmed. Had I known why I am the way I am I may not have spent 10 years being depressed for nothing. The message is autistic people are normal and can succeed - given the right support for their level of requirement. Your autism presented in a way that made you not too weird for society. Your autism presented in a way that got you a diagnosis. Mine did not. I had a very, very different experience than you all because my brain was able to analyse and memorise human behaviours and language. Don’t assume everyone is like you - assume that the stigma needs to be removed and better understanding of individuals is required.
Ps she didn’t mean that she thought the diagnosis was grim. She meant that doctors gave her a very grim diagnosis. I can understand possible confusion cause the nuance is minuscule. But doctors and experts at the time believed it was grim and told parents “autism means your child can’t...” when they really just failed to understand it means “autism means your child does X, Y and Z in a completely different way to neurotypical children”
@@eilzmo my brain can memorize human behavior and mimic them the same, you assume about me also.
It's called mirroring btw and its VERY common among aspie woman.
Also I find your comments very are getting personal so I'm not going to comment further, im sorry.
Kudos to your mother and you. Inspiring.
Rando It gives lot of hope to many of us
Rt on benji. You're a role model for my 5 year old. Never forget how your parents have fought for you. I look forward to seeing you keep on succeeding and getting the word out
Benji you are my hero thank you so much you have brought hope back in my life
Benji, thank you for this. You are an encouragement ❤. With this, my son will pull through. Thank you. You are really an inspiration indeed.
Such an adorable and brilliant boy
Thank you for your beautiful spiritualality. Your are so helpful to me.
Amazing speech!!!!!
Great accomplishment, very proud of you
Benji you are so adorable. I love your presentation. You give hope to lots of people , more than you can imagine . Your parents are blessed to have you.
Well done kid, your story is inspirational.
God bless you benji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You definitely gave me hope 💙
Very well done thankyou for all your help and information it really helps alot 💛💜💙
Awesome speech Benji! 👏
Bloody good presentation son. Good job!
Benji you are amazing!!🥰
Benji you are one incredible kid! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I love your bow tie too.
Amazing story
He is awesome!
And yes he is indeed right about everything what he said!
Brilliant child, smarter than the average 7 year old by a long shot.
Thankyu Benji I love yu its going to keep me motivated ❤️
lots of love to you kiddo.. what a smile what a expressions, good job dear.. what a explanation of life , well done :)
Beautiful
Great job Benji! I feel inspire!
Oh my God, he gives me so much hope. My son is 2 and a half and has been diagnosed with autism. He says mummy, daddy. Was so worried but today this cutty gives me hope that my boy will eventually speak. When he doesn't like something he covers his ears. I hope he grows out of it. Thank u so much cos my life was falling apart.
Afua Amoabea Boateng, I'm glad I was able to give you so much hope during your talk. Based on how you described it, it seems to me like your son has some auditory processing issues. The best way for him to do it is teach him the proper behavior followed by positive reinforcement. ASD kids LOVE positive reinforcement. It may take multiple times teaching the desired behavior. For example, rather than saying "don't cover your ears", rather say "hands go by our side, not in our ears" or any other place for his hands to go. If he doesn't get it the first time, it's ok. It's going to take a while.
Oh yeah, he way outclassed me too.
YOU ARE PHENOMENAL .
He knows how to read the monitor better than any adults do, good speech i would say
Good job mom well done.such a sweet boy.
Amazing
How is Benji doing now any update?
Great guy!
Inspirational. I cried at the part where you said 'Mommy' was your first word.
Thanku
😍😘🤗😘😘😘 Benji is awesome
Benji you and your mom are amazing!
God bless you all.
7 Crores Remuneration to Benji
Awesome❤️🙏
Beautiful. What kind of therapies worked best for him?
Marvelous Boy!!!
he seems like such a great kid and i wish him all the best! still the message of this video seems to be that autistic people need to change and behave more neurotypically in order to fit in and be valuable in society. i'm an autistic woman and there's nothing to fix about us, we just may need some accommodations and help to get through life. even if an autistic individual is non-verbal their whole life, it's not a great tragedy, there's other ways to communicate as well eg. sign language or aac.
I'm also autistic woman, and this whole talk felt like something wrong, artificial and rehearsed. I was heartbroken when he said that he turning the lights on and off made his parents go crazy, also how his coping mechanism to dealing with sirens made his sister mad and especially how hard he work (hours and hours of therapy) to be accepted. With that said I whish him all the best!
Yes they (neurodiverse) have to change and be close to “normal” to be accepted in the society, thrive & have better opportunity. Let’s face it, if you’re “different”, or “weird”, you will be outcast or isolated. That’s the reality of it. Sad but true.
He's Amazing!! I hate certain doctors
Amazing kid. I know I have 2 nephews who are Autistic and the oldest is so intelligent he puts all of us to shame. We never saw it as a disability with him at all. I mean there were definitely huge challenges when he was a toddler and huge changes had to be made but once he started communicating it was just a complete different child. The younger brother is an entirely different story. All the sensory changes my sister had already had in place are not working for him. Maybe it will just take more time. I don't know. It really seems like the spectrum is too large. After watching more and more of your videos it seems like I may be wrong. I only have my nephews to form an opinion though.
No way the boy lost his diagnosis of autism. He doesn't still have it anymore.
He got cured
You must be 16 now. Give us an update; have you started working for NASA yet? or have become a linguist or a composer?
He turned 19 this week! Benji is a freshman in college and is doing extremely well!
my son is 6 but he didn't say a single complete sentence . He always used few words to communicate his message. what therapy should I adopt
Subtitulos en español por favor!!!!!
GOOD BOY, SMART 🧠 BOY 👦 👍🙂
My 4 year old was just diagnosed with autism
Coming across Doctor Isibor Herbal Healing was God’s plan and gift to our Autistic son who has 😊😊improve perfectly in communication, understanding, eating solid foods and sleeps well at night ❤❤😊😊😊 I recommend Herbal treatment for every struggling mothers out there
Fix the audio
She’s speaking into a microphone, not a high quality one, the one a school could afford
Is his condition known as Aspergers too?
There is no such thing as a generic epidemic.
Coming across Doctor Isibor Herbal Healing was God’s plan and gift to our Autistic son who has 😊😊improve perfectly in communication, understanding, eating solid foods and sleeps well at night ❤❤😊😊😊 I recommend Herbal treatment for every struggling mothers out there
Please how can I have the Herbal Healing
maslo .periods of development .tarotagenic periods . displayed as a problem as they state . patients are patient . show them a patient process . raised in ny fast talkers . oh oh i get it
If you admitted or even suspected it was the vaccines you got, you wouldn't be doing a TED talk. "Environmental pollutants". Of course, read between the lines. My child stopped speaking the day he got the shots. So there you go.
I loved this amazing guy. He seems too normal .
And where was dad? Not patient with dad? Dad probably contributed the spiteful mutations that manifested in Benjamin as autism.