Autistic AP High School student wins homecoming title

Autistic children and adults are not known for their social skills.

In fact, one of the primary indicators of autism is abnormal social interaction. So how is it that autistic 11th-grader Orel Moran was able to win the title of Homecoming Prince for the junior class at Avon Park High School?

According to his family, friends and teachers, despite being autistic, Orel Moran is just a really likeable guy.

Winning a place in a homecoming court is basically a popularity contest, which is why it is so surprising that an autistic student would win.

Moran had to compete against five other students for the title, and all the candidates had to have good grades and no discipline problems.

Moran and his competitors had to fill out a questionnaire about why they liked their school and why they thought they would be a good homecoming prince, but in the end it was the school's junior class who chose the winner by vote.

"I kind of figured he would win, but it was a delight to hear it over the intercom," said one of Moran's Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teachers, Paulette Daley, with a knowing grin.

"Just hearing the kids chant his name during the homecoming parade was great," she added.

Part of Moran's duties as prince was to go out on the football field during a game and sit down as part of the court. He also had to participate in a fashion show.

"It's hard for our kids to go out for this kind of thing," Daley admitted, referring to the students in the ESE program, who may be autistic, have learning disabilities or be developmentally delayed. "I hope this is an example."

Moran's mother, Viviana Gonzalez, agreed.

"It's very rare for an autistic child to break these social boundaries," she added.

Moran, a slim, handsome boy of Puerto Rican descent, loves politics, bowling, riding his bike, and interacting with friends on MySpace and Facebook.

"I like to swim," he added with a huge grin, recalling family vacations to Puerto Rico. He's in charge of the marquee at school, and according to Daley, when Moran walks into the hallway, 10 to 20 kids come over to say hello to him.

When asked why Moran is so popular, Daley said quickly, "I don't know!"

His mother had a theory, though.

"He's not shy," said Gonzalez. "He introduces himself and talks to people."

She also mentioned that once Moran has met someone, he never forgets their name. "If he sees you 10 years later, he'll remember you and call you by name," she said.

This boy with an uncanny ability to make friends and a winning smile wasn't always so socially open and curious.

Gonzalez remembers when Moran was 6 years old and having trouble in school.

"He was violent," she said. She also said he would get frustrated when he wasn't understood.

Moran developed normally until about age 3. He walked and talked right on schedule with other children his age. "When he was three, we saw that he was getting stuck and going backwards," Gonzalez recalled. "In crowded places he couldn't stand the noises. He started lining up his toys and repeating phrases from the TV."

Although Moran no longer exhibits violent behavior and is quite socially outgoing, he continues to struggle with other symptoms of autism, including the need for routines, repeating phrases, and difficulty holding a coherent conversation.

"He says what's on his mind, but you may not know what he's talking about," said Gonzalez.

As the adults around him talked about him, Moran nodded a lot and chimed in to the conversation, although his understanding of the questions was not always 100 percent.

When the subject of his future came up, Moran had a lot to say.

"No training. Job only, and next year college. In 2012," Moran insisted. When his mother tried to explain that he'd need training in order to perform a job, Moran was adamant. "Training, no. Job only."

"He doesn't like the word 'training'," explained Gonzalez.

Now that Moran is 17 years old, his future is a common topic of conversation. Moran is enrolled in vocational rehabilitation classes that teach life skills. He also has teachers who meet with his parents to help create a plan for finding him a job once he graduates.

"I would like him to be independent," said Gonzalez. "So he can take care of himself. That's what I want for him."

"There are going to be a lot of challenges for him," admitted Daley, who said Moran did well working as a stocker in the school cafeteria.

No matter what his future challenges may be, Moran will almost certainly have his personality working for him.

"He's a very nice kid," said fellow 11th grader Matthew Rivera. "He always comes up saying hi. He's always happy. That's what I like about him."

Moran's love of learning is another trait that may benefit him.

"He loves school. He feels motivated every day," said Gonzalez. "At this point when he's becoming an adult, Miss Daley's work with him has been amazing."