High School Student Says His Superpower is Autism
Being a senior in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic was hard for many students, but one high school graduate held—what he referred to as—a secret superpower that allowed him to power through the difficulties.
Lev Elber, a 2021 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, tells The Herald News that his diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) gave him the focus he needed to succeed.
Elber graduated June 4, 2021 with a ranking of #10 in his high school class of approximately 500 seniors. Like many other students, he struggled with remote learning, but he did not allow the challenge to halt his success.
His family shared with The Herald News that he was diagnosed with ASD in 2013 and had exhibited outbursts, trouble with concentration, and other behavioral problems. Elber did not want any obstacles to stop him, doing his best and getting good grades has been part of his plans for the future for years.
After taking advanced classes in high school, he got accepted into Champlain College. He expressed interest to The Herald News in game design and programming and will be majoring in creative media, but he is still unsure of which career path he will take.
What Elber does know, however, is that autism is not associated with failure. “There’s an unfortunate tendency that people associate being autistic with it being a bad thing. But my point is… being on the autism spectrum alone does not indicate that I struggle with functioning,” he tells The Herald News. His mother, Shoshana Brown, shares that, “Some people with autism are highly focused on specific areas of expertise.” He expressed his desire to make people more aware of the strengths of autism and how it can greatly benefit a person, such as Elon Musk, who owned Tesla and SpaceX.
Elber sets a great example for many other students, showing that your obstacles can be driving force for success. Congratulations on your graduation, Elber! We can’t wait to see all that you accomplish.