Christopher Morrison Jr. was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the young age of five years old. Despite best efforts, his family, doctors and educators were unable to meet the demands of his behavioral and intellectual challenges.
That changed when La Porte Independent School District administrators referred Morrison Jr. to Academic and Behavior School (ABS) East.
“ABS East was like the light in a dark tunnel for our family,” Christopher Morrison Sr. recalled. “I always hoped to give him the best life possible or the best chance at having some semblance of a normal life. My biggest hope was that Chris would possibly graduate and move on to a part-time job or college.”
On May 16, that manifestation became a reality as Morrison Jr. entered the decorated cafeteria dressed in his graduation regalia. His parents – bursting with pride and gratitude – watched in awe as he was welcomed with cheers and congratulations by family, ABS East faculty and staff, and Harris County Department of Education leaders.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” an emotional Morrison Sr. said. “I’m doing backflips, you know, holding back tears.”
His son shares in the excitement, but for different reasons.
“I’m so happy because we are going to Golden Corral after graduation,” Morrison Jr. said with a smile. “I’m excited for the mac and cheese.”
Throughout his experience at ABS East, Morrison Jr. found a haven that gradually equipped him with the necessary life skills and coping mechanisms to begin thriving. His creativity flourished when educators introduced art and drawings to channel his frustrations.
“Sometimes the most brilliant students have difficulty putting things into words and vice versa,” ABS East Teacher Antionette Dargins said. “You have to find that student strength, and when you catch what they do well, the students feel amazing and empowered.”
Morrison Jr.’s artistic talents became an overnight sensation at HCDE, creating quite a lengthy list of accolades. They include portraits bearing the likeness of Superintendent James Colbert Jr. and HCDE’s Board of Trustees and winning the Department’s holiday card contest in 2021.
“It was magnificent,” Superintendent Colbert said. “I thought he had traced it, but he free-handed it. I learned that Chris can look at anything and then sketch a whole image of it. All people could focus on was his behaviors and in doing so, many missed his gift.”
He even helped inspire the theme behind Convocation 2022 – “The Art of Being Exceptional.”
“Christopher exemplifies how special some of our students are and how a person can’t always see that talent on the surface,” Superintendent Colbert said addressing graduation attendees. “You have to love and spend time with them to be able to extract that talent, and that’s what we strive to do at HCDE and here at ABS East.”
Dargins has worked with Morrison throughout the year to help prepare for life after graduation with role-playing and critical thinking exercises.
“In his mind, everything needs to be perfect, but I try to show him that in the adult world, everything is not perfect,” Dargins said. “When he faces challenges, I help him make adjustments by saying, ‘Christopher, you must slow down because when you get on your job, you have to listen to your boss. Is that the way you would talk to your boss? Is that how we behave in the workplace?’”
Dargins described how instrumental family cooperation has been in helping Morrison succeed. Keeping the line of communication open with the family has allowed everyone to address behavior challenges and coping strategies as a united front by using the same dialog and redirections.
“The difference is insurmountable,” Dargins said. “I can say, ‘Go left, go left, go left,’ and if someone else is saying, ‘Go right,’ there is no way we’re going to end up at the same place simultaneously. However, when you have someone partnering with you who wants the best for their child, and you want the best for their child, that drives the car straight.”
Morrison Jr., the embodiment of what HCDE and its Special Schools educators can help students accomplish, completed his journey with the Department as ABS East Principal Mercedes Love handed over his diploma. He accepted with pride.
“My dad took me shopping, and I told a lot of people in the stores that I was graduating,” Morrison Jr. said. “They were very proud of me.”
Assistant Superintendent for Academic Support Services Jonathan Parker also presented Morrison Jr. with a Certificate of Celebration from Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia for his dedication and commitment to completing his education.
Educators then took a moment to recognize graduate Morgan Rodriguez, who was unable to attend the ceremony before distributing outstanding awards to more than a dozen life skills and behavior students.
Many of Morrison Jr.’s supporters are now begging the question, what’s next?
“I want to be an architect!” Morrison Jr. said.
A dream his family supports.
“The things he builds with these Legos and on Minecraft are astonishing,” his father said. “He can see things on TV or see what the inside of a building looks like, and he will build it from memory.”
Morrison Jr. will resume his educational journey this fall as the newest student of the 18+ vocational program in La Porte ISD. Educators will focus on the gaps between his transition from school to adulthood by teaching him how to hold a job and support himself. Many believe he is ready for this step as he’s already demonstrating his independence and capabilities.
“He knows to get his stuff prepared for school and will ask, ‘Are my clothes ready?’” Morrison Sr. said. “Or he’ll remember to take his medicine. It’s been wonderful.”
The Morrison family said its final goodbyes and thanked HCDE leaders, faculty and staff during the graduation reception.
“They’re my heroes,” Morrison Sr. said. “They’re in the trenches doing the jobs that 90% of educators in society can’t do, and they’re going out of their way and above and beyond to ensure these kids have the best chance possible. ABS East gave my son a better chance in life, and I’m forever grateful.”
To learn more about HCDE Schools, visit hcde-texas.org/special-schools.