Hello!
Our 9 year old son, Gavin, is a sweet, high energy, intelligent boy, who also happens to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, and a receptive/expressive language disorder.
We saw Gavin's love for music at a very early age, which has turned into a passion for playing drums! He received his first drum set for Christmas 2014, and hasn't stopped playing since! We are so incredibly proud of him and all he has accomplished.
This is a kid that has trouble buttoning a shirt, due to his lack of fine motor coordination.
This is a kid that from infancy until around age 5, used to meltdown if he sat on a swing set; the movement made him panic with fear.
This is a kid that 3 years ago, would freak out if he heard a loud noise or would be a "deer in headlights" if we went to a mall or busy store, due to sensory overload.
This is a kid that would mainly stay in his own head and if given the choice, would watch certain scenes of a favorite cartoon or movie on his iPad, over & over again, for hours, instead of interacting with others.
But look at him now... 😊
He takes drum lessons 3 times a week and also plays with a band in St Louis. He absolutely loves performing on stage and has had opportunities to play in front of hundreds of people. He hopes to become a professional drummer when he grows up!
We have recently created a YouTube channel for Gavin, to bring more awareness to the amazing talents that kids on the Spectrum can posses:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmhETLAOn7pn7b4y1Q6z7Jw
Autism doesn't define Gavin - it just happens to be a part of who he is; he is so much more. ♥
We wanted to reach out to not only share our victory, but with the hopes that others would share Gavin’s story & YouTube channel. We hope to encourage other kids to reach for their dreams! Anything is possible!
Christina Martin
Gavin’s Mom
Belleville, IL
