12 Year Old Autistic Boy Creates Toy Drive for Children on the Spectrum

The holidays are not just about the beautiful decorations and spending quality time with your loved ones. Giving back during the holiday season is just as important. For one 12 year old boy, Donte Naylor did just that. 

Naylor held a toy drive for children with autism. He wanted to make sure autism families would have an “ausome” Christmas this year. By hosting this event, he wanted to not only advocate for himself but for other children on the spectrum, as well. 

"He struggled so many years with communication but in this process, he's really grown in terms of self-advocacy and to be able to advocate for others. He walked into several stores and met with owners or managers and told them his name and that he was collecting toys for children with autism,” said Donte’s mom Chuki Naylor. 

Donte collected many sensory toys and various local businesses donated toys for the drive. He collected over 400 toys. The event occurred on December 4, 2021.