Teener with Autism Disorder Tops CBA Math Challenge
A fourteen-year-old Australian with autism spectrum disorder has topped the Commonwealth Bank Australian Maths Challenge.
Aaron Herrmann bested 449,315 contestants during the Mathletics challenge from other primary and high school institutions across Australia on September 4 and 5. He travelled to Sydney on October 18 along with his family to receive the gold medal as well as a commendation for his overall ranking.
Alicia Read, Mr Herrmann's Maths teacher and mentor, said the young lad, a Seaford 6-12 student, loved his Mathletics.
"With his autism, (maths) is an obsession," Ms Read was quoted by adelaidenow.
"It was a huge focus for him," she pointed out, noting that Mathletics was introduced to the school only this year.
Despite limited speech, Mr Herrmann was zealous in solving every mathematical equation given him, which ultimately helped him excel in class and at Mathletics.
"(We are) just unbelievably proud," the boy's father said. "I've said to a few people that words can hardly describe it."
Equally proud and happy is the boy's mother.
"It's a very special gift . . . I actually got my first kiss (from Aaron) last November and a couple of hugs before that," Mrs Herrmann gushed.
"I just want to get it out to parents, please do not give up," she said, urging other parents with a special needs child to persevere in scouting interests for the child to embrace.
"There's talent in there . . . it's just untapped. We didn't even know that Aaron had this ability until Year 7."