Big Park Community School seventh-grader Peter Woffard stood in the center of the basketball court, the strings of a dozen blue balloons clutched in his hand, a smile on his face as his fellow students — many of whom wore blue shirts to mark National Autism Awareness Day, Thursday, April 2 — cheered and stamped their feet on the bleachers.

“The month of April is Autism Awareness Month,” special education teacher Sonia Feldtkeller announced. She stood beside Woffard, her arm around his shoulders. The gathered students had been roused to excitement during the preceding pep rally for AIMS testing.

When Feldtkeller finished her words of thanks, they erupted into applause and cheering.

Feldtkeller and Woffard returned to the sidelines. With a smile, the teacher offered an explanation: “He and his mom wanted everyone to know.”

Woffard’s mother, Shelby Woffard, greeted her son with a hug and let him run off to rejoin his peers. She explained that people who meet Peter now do not understand what immense challenges he has overcome in his life. He had not learned to speak by the time he entered kindergarten. Screaming was his attempt at communication.

To read the full story, see the Wednesday, April 8, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.