Jennifer Dawson, clinical director of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Autism Resource Center in West Chester, believes that while increased awareness of autism is a good thing, it is important not to generalize, writes Aaron Carter for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

She said that a common refrain in the autism community is “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”

Ojay Harris, a senior on the Martin Luther King High School football team who will be honored with an award for courage, was once teased and called a “cry baby.”

His parents knew he was different even before kindergarten. He would often fixate on objects and slightly flap his arms when excited. He also seemed frustrated at times and would bang his head against the wall.

The worst part for the young athlete was that his teachers did not recognize autism and attributed his behavior to other things. Between that and teasing, he retreated to playing video games.

But finding football gave Harris purpose.

Read more about autism in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.