How a Charlotte 12-year-old uses her diagnosis as motivation to create change

Ayahn Ambroise’s heart more than makes up for the words she sometimes can’t find.

The 12-year-old knows when someone needs help — or a prayer.

If she hears people are struggling for affordable housing, she’ll tell her mom they need to have a march. When she sees a homeless person, she stops and prays for them. She also checks on the seniors in her neighborhood.

“She’s always had an innate way of trying to help others,” mom Angela Ambroise told The Charlotte Observer. “She’s perceptive. She tunes in to how people are feeling. She feels what someone is going through. When she was 2 and her little brother needed something, she would cry really, really loud. She was telling me he needed something.”

During last week’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board meeting, Ayahn inspired. She led the pledge and then read her essay on the self-awareness journey she’s been on since being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“I had to understand why I was different from others and why some of them didn’t want to play with me,” Ayahn said. “With help from my parents, I’ve made significant progress in understanding myself.”

Her words moved those in attendance at the school board meeting to give her a standing ovation.

Ayahn’s dream for the community

Ayahn, a sixth-grader at Eastway Middle School, was 7 when she was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ambroise says her daughter has always been an amazing kid, but she could tell early on there was something different about her. When she was little, she would play next to someone but not necessarily with them.

“She would try,” Angela said. “She wouldn’t say anything, but she knew everyone’s name.”

Ayahn’s community advocacy has helped, both she and her mom say.

“She’s my daughter, and I’m a long-time community advocate,” Angela said. “I’m an advocate for affordable housing, equity in schools. She’s also been front and center with all that.”

Ayahn loves the arts, and she’s a runner. She leads marches through local neighborhoods to raise money. Her dream is to build a hotel for people without a home, and they would be able to stay as long as they need to.

“I’ll have a breakfast place so they’ll always have food,” Ayahn said. “It makes me sad to see homeless people. But being a community advocate makes me happy.”

Ayahn’s business plan

While the family is still learning a lot about ASD since Ayahn’s diagnosis, its found those with autism need advocacy. April is National Autism Awareness Month, where people around the world raise awareness.

Angela says she’s had to raise awareness within CMS, too. The district has responded by agreeing to help bring someone in to educate school staff about the disorder’s effect on people.

“It’s about educating the community,” Angela said. “That’s the thing for me, making sure you’re (creating) an inclusive environment.”

School board Vice Chair Stephanie Sneed introduced Ayahn at the meeting as caring, respectful and actively selling Girl Scout cookies.

Ayahn told the Observer there’s one thing she wants everyone to know: “Kindness is everything.”

“I want to have a T-shirt business that raises money for autism,” Ayahn said. “I want to make T-shirts with quotes on them that inspire people to be kind.”

Angela says her daughter’s message and advocacy are important because people diagnosed with autism don’t always show physical signs.

“A lot of folks want to define it,” Angela said. “For me, it’s understanding what autism is. Not something you can see. As a parent I’ve always struggled a little bit. It’s not a disorder that puts people in one particular box.”

Ayahn understands that well.

When she was in elementary school she set up a lemonade stand on a corner in her community and called it “Sips for Trips.” She raised nearly $700 for two CMS elementary schools so students could take field trips.

“I don’t always fit in,” Ayahn said, “but I will always help.”