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It all adds up Autistic youth making name for self with math skills
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Morgan Wall
Staff Reporter
When Jared Honeycutt was diagnosed with autism at age four by the preschool screening staff at Tharrington Elementary School, his parents were not sure what to expect. Now, almost 15 years later, Jared is a student at Surry Community College who recently placed first in the college and in the state on a national calculus test.
The results also placed him third in the southeast and 20th in the nation. The test was administered in two parts, one in the fall and one in the spring. For the second part of the test, he placed second in the southeast.
Jared's math teacher at the community college, Tommy Marion, encouraged him as well as other members of his class to take the first part of the national exam which is administered through the North Carolina Mathematics Association for two-year colleges. When the results cam in, Marion encouraged Jared to take the second part of the exam because of his high scores on the first segment.
According to Jared, he did not study for either part of the exam and was not enrolled in a math course at the time of testing.
“He's a good student in everything,” said Eddie Honeycutt, Jared's father.
Jared has always had a passion for math. As a toddler, his favorite toy was a Mickey Mouse-shaped calculator that he would carry around, pushing the buttons. He also loved game shows such as The Price is Right which involves numbers. His mother, Patty, recalls taking Jared to the grocery store with her where he would tell her the total before the cashier was done ringing up the groceries.
Once he was diagnosed with autism, Jared's parents had the diagnosis confirmed by Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children, which is a division of the University of North Carolina's Department of Psychiatry. TEACCH encouraged the Honeycutts to investigate alternative schooling options for Jared so they enrolled him in preschool at Central Methodist Church.
When it was time for Jared to enter kindergarten, they enrolled him at B.H. Tharrington Primary School in Mount Airy and in the care of Becky Keesler, his teacher. TEACCH sent a therapist to work with his teachers and the school system provided Jared with a laptop and a one-on-one assistant until he reached fourth grade.
The summer after Jared completed kindergarten, he took a test which rated him in math skills as a third semester college student.
Jared remained in the Mount Airy school system until his freshman year in high school. He then returned for his senior year, graduating with his classmates in 2007. He graduated as a Magna Cum Laude honor graduate from Mount Airy High School. He was also recognized as a North Carolina Academic Scholar, a Presidential Excellence and Achievement Award recipient, an AP Calculus Award recipient and a Jim Bray Award recipient as well as being a part of the Academic Letter Program.
“We've always been very appreciative of all the help Jared has received through the Mount Airy School System,” said Patty. “All the teachers there were just wonderful. They saw Jared's potential when a lot of people didn't.”
Both Eddie and Patty agree that they were lucky to have the support of the Mount Airy city schools during this process. They have been told by several people that they were lucky to have the support of the school system. They also believe that early diagnosis and intervention were important in Jared's success.
Jared is now enrolled in Surry Community College where he just finished his second semester, taking classes two days a week. He works at AMRR's corporate office in Winston-Salem dealing with spreadsheets. His supervisor, who works in Kansas, has asked Jared to pursue a degree in marketing and engineering. He found this job through the Vocational Rehabilitation Center which AMRR called in search of an autistic student who was good at math.
Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1929.
Staff Reporter
When Jared Honeycutt was diagnosed with autism at age four by the preschool screening staff at Tharrington Elementary School, his parents were not sure what to expect. Now, almost 15 years later, Jared is a student at Surry Community College who recently placed first in the college and in the state on a national calculus test.
The results also placed him third in the southeast and 20th in the nation. The test was administered in two parts, one in the fall and one in the spring. For the second part of the test, he placed second in the southeast.
Jared's math teacher at the community college, Tommy Marion, encouraged him as well as other members of his class to take the first part of the national exam which is administered through the North Carolina Mathematics Association for two-year colleges. When the results cam in, Marion encouraged Jared to take the second part of the exam because of his high scores on the first segment.
According to Jared, he did not study for either part of the exam and was not enrolled in a math course at the time of testing.
“He's a good student in everything,” said Eddie Honeycutt, Jared's father.
Jared has always had a passion for math. As a toddler, his favorite toy was a Mickey Mouse-shaped calculator that he would carry around, pushing the buttons. He also loved game shows such as The Price is Right which involves numbers. His mother, Patty, recalls taking Jared to the grocery store with her where he would tell her the total before the cashier was done ringing up the groceries.
Once he was diagnosed with autism, Jared's parents had the diagnosis confirmed by Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children, which is a division of the University of North Carolina's Department of Psychiatry. TEACCH encouraged the Honeycutts to investigate alternative schooling options for Jared so they enrolled him in preschool at Central Methodist Church.
When it was time for Jared to enter kindergarten, they enrolled him at B.H. Tharrington Primary School in Mount Airy and in the care of Becky Keesler, his teacher. TEACCH sent a therapist to work with his teachers and the school system provided Jared with a laptop and a one-on-one assistant until he reached fourth grade.
The summer after Jared completed kindergarten, he took a test which rated him in math skills as a third semester college student.
Jared remained in the Mount Airy school system until his freshman year in high school. He then returned for his senior year, graduating with his classmates in 2007. He graduated as a Magna Cum Laude honor graduate from Mount Airy High School. He was also recognized as a North Carolina Academic Scholar, a Presidential Excellence and Achievement Award recipient, an AP Calculus Award recipient and a Jim Bray Award recipient as well as being a part of the Academic Letter Program.
“We've always been very appreciative of all the help Jared has received through the Mount Airy School System,” said Patty. “All the teachers there were just wonderful. They saw Jared's potential when a lot of people didn't.”
Both Eddie and Patty agree that they were lucky to have the support of the Mount Airy city schools during this process. They have been told by several people that they were lucky to have the support of the school system. They also believe that early diagnosis and intervention were important in Jared's success.
Jared is now enrolled in Surry Community College where he just finished his second semester, taking classes two days a week. He works at AMRR's corporate office in Winston-Salem dealing with spreadsheets. His supervisor, who works in Kansas, has asked Jared to pursue a degree in marketing and engineering. He found this job through the Vocational Rehabilitation Center which AMRR called in search of an autistic student who was good at math.
Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1929.
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