Most of us come from a generation that has grown up watching superhero movies. So, when we walk past a shop which has Marvel and DC merchandise, we are immediately drawn to it! Even though we hail from an age of reason and logic, a part of us believes that wearing a superhero mask might give us superpowers! And something similar happened to this little guy.
A 10-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, who had lost verbal ability at the age of 1, was able to speak again after putting on an Iron Man mask!
In a recent episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the boy along with his parents were invited to meet with none other than Iron Man himself – Robert Downey Jr. Speaking to him, the family recalled how painful it was for the boy to be unable to express his feelings or make friends. At 1, he had lost the ability to speak, at 4 he was diagnosed with autism.
However, a miracle happened after he turned 6. He was gifted an Iron Man helmet and after wearing it, he imagined himself to be a superhero and was able to speak again.
“It was almost like the mask provided a sense of…it grounded him and it allowed him to feel confident. And within 24 hours, we saw a different child,” the boy’s father told RDJ.
“There is something…I think for all of us…when you’re able to wear a mask, whether you are doing theatre in school or at Halloween…it gave us a voice,” said Robert Downey Jr.
Watch the video here:
People on the internet are sharing similar experiences where kids with social anxiety and speech problems were able to overcome it after wearing a mask. Some were just overwhelmed with the boy’s story.
This is our severely autistic daughter. She's been the mascot for 4yrs and I absolutely agree that the "mask" helps her be someone someone she wishes she was all the time (more social, outgoing, etc.) pic.twitter.com/WNxaaPQ3V0
— Lorca Damon (@LorcaDamon) January 14, 2020
What an incredible story! 😭😭😭 Also, kudos to RDJ and all of the Marvel cast for doing such a great job of going above and beyond the roles that they play and bringing so much happiness to fans everywhere. 💙
— Kym (@kymstyle) January 14, 2020
I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING THRU MY SON WHO'S 12 IS AUTUSTIC
— Aimee (@Aimee24267789) January 14, 2020
Autistic children often struggle with pretend play since they tend to avoid social interaction, can struggle with communication, can be resistant to change, etc,….which makes this story even more amazing! Wow! Very encouraging! ❤️ #dontgiveup #breakthrough
— DeAnna Williams (@williamsd02) January 14, 2020
This makes it all worth it! ❤️❤️❤️ is not fame, it’s touching people’s lives
— Natacha Guerra (@NatachaGuerra_) January 14, 2020
That's too cute….A lot of autistic children find their voice through movies, that's where my sons found theirs….#Disney movies in particular.
— YOLANDA SIMPSON (@yo_landa) January 14, 2020
I'm not crying you're crying 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
— Caro (@nursecaro13) January 14, 2020
A superhero mask does come with superpowers!