Senior with autism stuns crowd with graduation speech

PLANO, Texas — Making a speech at high school graduation can unnerve anyone, whether it’s the class valedictorian or one of the guest speakers. The speeches can be funny, serious, reflective, but Sef Scott’s speech was inspirational. Not primarily for the words he spoke, or even the message, but that Sef was brave enough to take the podium.

That's because Sef has autism and a social communication disorder. He can speak, but he doesn't put what he is thinking into spoken word, CBS News reported.

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In his speech to the Plano Senior High School class of 2018, Sef started his address, "My name is Sef Scott and I am a student with learning differences. To be more specific I have autism and a social communication disorder. While I have the vocabulary you do, and I have the ability to produce spoken words, it is not the normal thing for me to electively speak. Just by my being here -- speaking to all of you, me, that alone is unexpected," KTVT reported.

Sef is usually nonverbal, WFAA reported.

But Sef had things to say on his big night. With the help of his brother, who survived a brain tumor, and his mother he wrote down what he wanted to tell his classmates.

“Unexpected. That is what I want you to remember. Unexpected. First and foremost, I would imagine that to the seniors that know who I am that it is entirely unexpected that I would be standing here giving this speech,” Sef said.

He also gave his classmates and those in the audience a little bit of advice, KTVT reported.

“You can sprinkle unexpected moments throughout your everyday life that can benefit those around you with very little effort on your part,” Sef said.

Cox Media Group