In the video, Micah’s mom, Haley McGuire, explained that Micah does not talk. This isn’t uncommon for children with autism, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Some children and adults with autism do not speak or have communication difficulties.
In Micah’s case, he began to speak just a few words when he was five, as captured in two TikToks on McGuire’s account. In the first, Micah was prompted to say his name by his mother, who sounded out the name. Family members screamed in support when he succeeded and huddled to surround the child. One family member even picked Micah up and flipped him upside down in celebration.
Micah absolutely won over the TikTok viewers who saw the video. With over 1.1 million likes, and a list of heartwarming comments, it was clear Micah brought joy to millions with his achievement. In addition to praise for Micah and the wholesome moment, many TikTok commenters admitted to crying while watching the video. Almost all seemed to love the pure pride and joy on Micah’s face when he said his name.
“MICAH YOU ARE SO SMART AND AMAZING,” wrote TikTok user @nottooshabbyy. They were far from the only comment full of praise. “Okay I’m crying and I know nothing about the family this is so sweet,” replied @ameliagarcia713.
The public encouragement has been shocking to Micah’s family, who told Newsweek he hasn’t stopped mimicking the family’s words since the videos were filmed this weekend.
“It’s been a day and a half now, and everything we ask him to say, he’s copying,” McGuire said. “He’s not going out of his way to say anything on his own, but he’s literally copying everything we say, which is crazy because he wasn’t talking at all. Every now and then, he’d blurt out a word. But when I say ‘wasn’t talking,’ he would go weeks without saying anything. This is crazy. He’s been doing great.”
A second video, also posted by McGuire on Sunday, showed Micah saying a list of family names like Mama, Papa and Nonnie. “Micah, we are so proud of you,” McGuire wrote at the end of the second video. She reiterated the point.
“I’m just really emotional. I’m really proud of him,” McGuire said. “I don’t think I have an accurate word to describe how I’m feeling other than really–maybe I’m speechless.” This is the first time Micah made an appearance on McGuire’s TikTok account. She usually uses the page for her photography business, which she promotes through videos and photos of the shoots. McGuire specializes in portraits and family photos, which she shares on her Instagram.
McGuire described Micah as an incredibly loving child. “Micah has always been a really sweet, tender-hearted, quiet kid,” she said. “Obviously, he doesn’t talk, but he kind of keeps to himself. He’s always been extremely loving. I know that that’s not necessarily normal for kids with autism. They like to not be touched and they like to be alone. But he’s very affectionate and loving. It’s been easy for us to be so happy and encouraging with him.”
One thing’s for sure: TikTok users have given love to Micah, too, even through their screens. Viewers from all corners of the Internet shared their support of the five-year-old and championed him as a light and a giant success in the wild year of 2020.
