Teen Inspiration: ASD Is Not A Hindrance To Gifted Teens

Christopher Duffley blind autistic child blind but talented autistic child

By Collie Lane , Parent Herald Sep 15, 10:15 pm

Christopher Duffley, a 15-year-old blind teen with autism from Manchester, New Hampshire, uses his "perfect pitch voice" to sing for God and inspire others. "Singing is a gift that I share," remarked the gifted teen.

Born in 2001, Duffley was born premature and blind permanently. This is due to his biological parents' being confirmed positive for cocaine and oxycontin, according to Autism Key. Firstly put in a foster care, in 2003, Duffley's Aunt Christine and Uncle Steve officially adopted him.

Duffley's great passion for music helped him communicate with other people. Duffley told ABC News: "Music to me is for one thing: it brings joy to people. Singing is a gift that I share. Because I'm blind, I see people with my heart for who they truly are instead of what they look like on the outside."

Christopher has performed in different huge occasions such as National Political Debates, the 2015 Papal Visit of Pope Francis in Philadelphia and the Boston Red Sox game. Duffley said that he likes singing because he knows that it brings joy to the audience.

While many teens on the autism spectrum have kept on inspiring and changing the way people think about autism, Duffley joins a cluster of teens that have stood out despite their challenging situation. Read more inspiring teens with autism below.

Niam Jain, a 13-year-old autistic teen from Toronto, took his paintbrush one summer and wowed painting collectors with his abstract paintings. Niam was diagnosed with autism disorder at the age of two. And now, according to CBC News, he has sold 46 paintings already all over Canada and the USA. He has made almost $20,000 and the demand keeps increasing, the report continued.

Austin Riley, a 16-year-old motorsports' rising star from Canada, is a three-time champion in kart racing despite having ASD. According to Riley, because you have autism does not mean you can't do great things. Riley loves racing since he was 8 years old and now shares it to inspire other people especially teens with ASD.