The Heart-Wrenching Things 1 Boy With Autism Wishes His Teacher Knew

As part of a school assignment, Austin was asked to write three things he wishes his teachers knew about him. Instead of holding back, this eighth-grader used this as an opportunity to be honest with his teacher about his daily struggles, and his poignant response left his parents completely heartbroken.

According to his mom, Amy Preslar Saunders, her son struggles with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sensory processing disorder, fine motor skill delay, and anxiety disorder. She shared his tear-inducing assignment on Love What Matters' Facebook page in the hopes of encouraging other parents, teachers, and kids to keep fighting. Austin wrote:

I wish that they knew that I am autistic. I wish that my teacher knew that I need help on a lot of things like my handwriting. I wish that my teacher know that I have a depressed life sometimes. I wish my teacher knew that I am not being defiant I am overwhelmed shutting down. I wish that my teacher knew that I am very good at bottling up anger and having outbursts.

This post was originally published on Sept. 29, 2016.