George Yionoulis a Fourth Grader

The First Day of School

For most kids, their first day of school is filled with fun, excitement, and a little bit of trepidation. But for George Yionoulis, a fourth-grader from Raleigh, N.C., it was also an opportunity to teach his classmates a lesson about who he was and what makes him different.

Difficulty with Daily Tasks

Diagnosed with autism at the age of two, George took a little longer to learn the necessary things that most other kids just came naturally. Things like dressing himself, talking, and focusing on one thing at one time were all “big celebrations,” according to his father, George Yionoulis. “We don’t take anything for granted.”

Kids are Quick to Not Understand

Quick to Judgement

But the other kids were not so quick to understand what autism was, or why George acted so different than the other kids. Even though his public school is inclusive, relatively speaking, his mother, Lisa Jolley, says that some of his peers are naturally afraid of things that seem strange to them.

With Age Comes Increased Observation

“As he gets older, his peers get older, and they notice things more and are more quick to judge or laugh at him. They could think, ‘He’s different, I will go away, I will avoid him.’ We wanted to head that off at the pass.”

Creating the Video

Heading That Off at the Pass

For George, “heading that off at the pass” meant creating a video to educate his peers on the elements of autism. His teacher came up with the idea as a way for George to answer questions that classmates may have about the neurological disorder that affects his social interaction as well as his verbal and non-verbal communication.

George was immediately enthusiastic about the idea. “We were like, ‘Oooh, a video!,” said his mother, Lisa Jolley, an actress who had a role in the Broadway production of “Hairspray.” George’s father, Mike Yionoulis, also works in the arts as a longtime professional composer of theatrical music. Both were able to help George put together a video that discussed the nature of autism in a relatable and fun way.

About the Video by Gio Yio

George’s Personality Unveiled

The video only took a few weeks to prepare, but in it, George was able to fully unveil his personality, detailing his love of Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Tacos. He explained that his DJ name is “Geo Yio,” and that he is more than willing to “bust a move” at any opportunity he can. In the midst of the techno beats that made up the background music, George stops to make an important announcement: “And…wait for it…I have this thing called autism.”

Explaining His Daily Experiences

George then goes on to explain that it’s hard for him to focus on any one thing at a time, such as a conversation or lesson in class. He routinely jumps out of line at school – something the girls in class enjoy correcting him on. “I can hear and see a lot of things and sounds all at the same time, which makes it hard to focus on one sound or thought,” he explains in the video.

Sensory Overload and Acting More Lively

Big Personality Amongst Peers

This sensory overload is, in part, what’s allowed him to have such a big personality amongst his peers, always speaking up and acting much more lively than some of his classmates. Although this has allowed him to connect with the girls in his class, his mother admits that it’s made it a little harder to relate to the boys.

Best Outlet for the Unfamiliar

Still, the video has allowed him to explain autism to a group of kids that may have otherwise been unfamiliar with it, letting them get hands-on experience with the condition that affects nearly one out of every sixty-eight children nationwide.

Explanation of Difficulties

Eye Contact and Language Interpretation

George explains some of the challenges that he faces precisely as a result of his autism, such as difficulty keeping eye contact and interpreting some language. He also reveals that he tends to take every conversation very literally, “so if you ask me to ‘take a seat,’ you might find one less chair in your classroom.”

Transparency with His Peers

After the video, George invited any of his classmates to come up and ask him any question they wanted to about autism. Nothing was off-limits, George wanted to have all his cards on the table. “No, seriously, it’s OK, just come and ask me about it.”

Peers Ask Questions To Understand

Curiosity Welcomed

As a result, kids have asked him all sorts of questions, not just about autism, but about how they should interact with someone who has autism. “One of the kids asked him, ‘So you’re saying even if you’re playing by yourself, you’d be okay if we asked you to play?'” his father remembers one little boy asked.

Support Around the Globe

Afterwards, George’s mother Jolley posted the video to her Facebook account, which has achieved a slightly viral effect, eliciting comments and supportive statements from people all over the world. The video, which is highly captivating and charming, is a true-to-life explainer about the real effects of dealing with autism, and lots of people have shared it.

Tremendous Impact on Classmates and Himself

Finally Feeling Understood

“I believe it’s pretty awesome. It makes me feel so, so encouraged. I’ve been dreaming about it my whole life,” George said in a later interview about the video. The impact on his classmates has been tremendous; the effect on his social life has been equally important.

Precision in Message

Jolley is quick to praise the effect that is simply making the video and showing it to his classmates has had on her son: “He can get all his words in one place and say what he wants to say. If he were to have to say all this stuff without the video, I’m not sure he’d be able to get it all out. It’s a perfect medium for him.”

Win-Win for Everyone

It’s not only a perfect medium for George Yionoulis, but for the classmates who now understand him better and the millions who have benefitted from his explanation.