An emotional post on a mom’s Facebook page has the internet crying on World Autism Awareness Day 2019.
Kristen Braconi of South Brunswick, NJ, shared two sweet videos of local teens playing with her 5-year-old autistic son, Carter, and even teaching him to skateboard.
The little boy has high-functioning autism and ADHD, and Braconi had taken him to a skatepark for his birthday. He was riding his scooter along the concrete bumps when a group of older kids showed up. Carter was “really nervous” about playing next to them and wanted to leave.
But then the heartwarming clips show how the teens put him at ease by singing “Happy Birthday” — and gifted him a mini-skateboard.
“They were absolutely amazing with him and included him and were so beyond kind it brought me to tears,” says the mom in the Facebook post. “I can’t even begin to thank these kids for being so kind and showing him how wonderful people can be to complete strangers.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, though boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed as girls.
Braconi says Carter was so happy that he can’t stop watching the videos two days after the incident.
“They made him feel so special,” she tells Patch. “After they included him, his whole demeanor changed. … He seems more confident now and I think more comfortable to be at the park. Hopefully he will feel like he can be more social.”
Mom and Carter left the park — but brought back ice cream for the teens. Up next: a pizza party, if the South Brunswick Police Department has anything to say about it. They want to track down these “superheroes” and reward them with some slices.
If you happen to know these goodhearted kids, tell them to contact Lt. Gene Rickle at 732-329-4646.



