Mario Soberanis works for X-Team as a Senior Data Engineer. He's also the father of a remarkable young man who was diagnosed with autism early in life. Mario's son is exceptionally creative and, with the help of his parents, a team of psychologists, and a local coffee shop owner where he works as an intern, has channeled his creativity into a vibrant comic book.
Because we celebrate diversity and inclusion at X-Team, we wanted to support Mario's son. We created several collectibles of his comic book, discussed the book during our neurodiversity week at the start of August, and donated to Fundación Alumbra, a charity focused on autism awareness. Down below, you can read the comic book of Mario's son. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: This is a translation of the original version in Spanish. To stay true to the author's words, storytelling style, and worldview, only minimal edits were made. You can also view the comic book's cover art in AR.
One morning, an autistic boy felt lonely on his first day of high school. He avoided interacting with other students his age. Most students, along with a few bullies, whispered behind the boy's back, teasing and making fun of him. They were quite intolerant with what they said.
The boy was sad when he heard the others expressing their opinions. They made unpleasant, dishonest, and rude comments, and discriminated against the boy simply because he was different. But what depressed him the most was that he had never had the opportunity to socialize with friends in high school.
As he entered the classroom, he felt melancholic. No one to socialize with. With their derogatory, rude, and unfair remarks, those who whisper about the boy show a lack of tolerance and regard for autism. This is called intolerance.
As the young autistic man took a seat in the classroom, the other students talked about their interests, daily lives, achievements, and career choices. Meanwhile, he leaned his backpack against the chair and slumped sadly on his desk.
He doesn't make any friends, doesn't chat, and doesn't share interests or hobbies. It was the first time during his education that he had interacted with individuals from various schools or institutions. He never talks to anyone because of his autism.
But suddenly three bullies appeared. The first bully was a big guy wearing a shirt with a skull symbol. He missed half a tooth. The second bully had the least hair and wore a chain necklace and an earring. The third bully was the thinnest, with orange-grayish hair and a little goatee.
The boy wasn't interested in talking to them, but the first bully approached and threatened him, calling him names and getting ready to strike. Then a student with glasses turned toward them and let out a sigh in response to the situation.
The bully got ready to harm the boy, but the student with glasses stood up against the bully. He asked him to leave the boy alone, but the bully called him a nerd and told him to get out of the way. The student refused and said that the bully will have to go through him.
The bully was furious and threatened the student, calling him an insolent nerd. He prepared to throw a punch and was about to strike the student when...
A charming young man stopped the punch and told the bully to pick on someone his own size. The man and the bully faced each other. The bully's accomplices were afraid and surprised by the man.
The man warned the bully that if he criticizes young people with autism, someone will someday judge him in return. As their eyes met, the bully regretted threatening the autistic boy. He began to understand that he was wrong having bothered him.
The three bullies learned the lesson of not making unpleasant comments or discriminating against people with autism. Someday, they will do the right thing and respect their fellow students.
The autistic boy had now met two very tolerant people. First he met the student with glasses, who studies psychology, chemistry, and computer science. Then he met the charming man. He finally had friends who joined him in promoting tolerance and standing up against bullying.
Afterward, the three young students go to a cafe where there's a sculpture and a cup with the rainbow infinity symbol. It was a gathering place for all those with autism, who support one another in their daily lives and who respect and embrace tolerance for all the differences of humankind, whether that's race, height, religion, culture, or any other aspect.
It is how they become people who stand for TOLERANCE.
