An Autistic Boy We Can All Learn From

For 12-year-old Malaysian Umar Hasfizal, his autism is no match for his courage and angelic voice. He is a hero to inspire us all.

In this video, Umar leads a choir of 25 autistic children from the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom). They are singing a rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables. They are singing in front of over 1,600 people at a fundraiser held to coincide with World Autism Day.

Additional Resources:

• Check out Umar’s website!
• Here is another video of Umar singing.

Topics for Discussion:

• Do you know anyone who is autistic?
• Do you think it was difficult for Umar to sing and lead a choir in front of a large audience

Take Action:

• Visit the website for World Autism Awareness Day to learn more about this important day and how you can get involved.
• Visit the Autism Speaks website to learn more about autism and how you can help people with this condition.

Teacher Features:

• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.