NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Jason is opening the One Beautiful Spectrum Autism Fashion show with a voice his mother, Charlotte Shannon, said the world almost did not hear.
Before Jason ever spoke, he sang.
"He started singing that song before he started talking… he didn’t talk until he was eight," Shannon said.
For years, Shannon said conversation felt out of reach.
"I used to tell people that I would never be able to have a conversation with my son… but he could sing," Shannon said.
The One Beautiful Spectrum Autism Fashion show is designed to create a space for people like Jason. On the runway, there is no judgment.
"It’s inclusion it gives them a chance to be themselves," Shannon said.
"Once they see his diagnosis, they won’t give him a chance as with this, there’s no judgment," Shannon said.
When Jason steps out, he does not hold back.
"He’s gonna get out there and he’s gonna give them a concert," Shannon said.
Each performance builds Jason's confidence and shows how far he has come.
Watch the video to see Jason's inspiring performance on the runway! Have you or a loved one found confidence through music or the arts? I'd love to hear your story. Email me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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