Graduating high school was not a goal I had for my son, Jeremy, diagnosed severely autistic when he was a toddler. But graduate, he did, with a 3.70 GPA, on the same day his sister, Rebecca, graduated form a neighboring high school.

On Friday, Jeremy gave a commencement speech during the graduation ceremony, using the same kind of voice output technology he has used to pass his tests and do his classwork.  He recieived a standing ovation. Apparently there were no dry eyes in the audience when he finished his speech. Even the local NBC producer covering the graduation shed tears.

Jeremy's goal now is to attend college and to give back to the community by helping to create more awareness about autism and to inspire parents and educators to help others like him find their  way out  isolation.

To  see and hear a  6 minute video of his speech on YouTube, click here.