February 6, 2023

“How Team Supreme Helped Build My Son’s Confidence & Be Proud of His Autism Diagnosis”

Many parents of autistic children wonder when is the “right time” to talk to their child about their Autism diagnosis. They obsess over finding and using the right words, wonder how they’ll react to and receive the news, focus on the first conversation of Autism being a healthy and positive one, and hope their child will be able to understand what it means…but the truth is, there is no perfect time. The best we can do is show up with love, patience, kindness, and support. Having positive role models and representation that they can see themselves in can definitely help too!

When I first saw Zeek and learned about Team Supreme, it came right on time for me personally. Raising a little black boy with Autism at a time when I didn’t see or hear many positive things about Autism, Zeek represented something far more than a character of a cartoon concept. Not only was Zeek the first black character with Autism that we ever saw, but he was the first character that Jaiden ever saw himself in. So when the time came to have the conversation with Jaiden about him being autistic, it came much more naturally and he received it very well. Also, by that time, he had already been aware of and introduced to a lot of my advocacy work involving my face paintings and cosplays centered around Autism awareness and acceptance.

Our first Zeek cosplay was in 2017, and it was also the first full cosplay that he got to be involved in from beginning to end. Once I made the costume and painted his face, there was an instant transformation beyond the cosplay. He already looked like him, so it didn’t take much, but from that point on, he would be known as Zeek to himself, me, and many people around the world. That’s the power of positive, inclusive representation. That’s the significance of Zeek.

With the help of Zeek, Jaiden has learned to love himself, believe in himself, build his confidence and self-esteem, see himself as a superhero, foster his genuine kindness and positivity, find his voice, make friends, and see Autism as a strength rather than a weakness or as something bad. His confidence is through the roof, and a part of that is very much because of this character and Joshua wanting to bring representation, inclusion, and diversity to kids like Jaiden that deserve to be seen. I can’t thank Joshua enough for using his platform and talents to inspire, encourage, and relate to so many of those that usually feel left out, underrepresented, or aren’t highlighted nearly enough.

Jaiden’s Letter

In his letter, Jaiden writes that one of his biggest dreams is to see Joshua and Team Supreme be given the chance to be brought to life because he knows it will help a lot of other kids with disabilities and special needs feel special, super, and seen just like it did for him. How can I not do everything in my power to help make this a reality?

Comic Strip Love

This comic strip (illustrated by Afifamrullah967 on Fiverr) is based on our real-life experience of teaching Jaiden the importance of loving his skin, despite the nonexistent representation of kids like him on TV. Did you notice the Chutes and Ladders game board on the table? If you look closely, you can see that the white game piece is at the start position of the board and the black game piece is knocked over on the side. Jaiden was so used to seeing white characters as the superheroes and the “cool kids” on TV, that that’s what he wanted to be like. I would tell him all the time about the power and beauty of his skin and how it looked like gold in the sunlight, about how many of the people he loved most in his life had darker skin like him and how that made it even more special, and it definitely helped, but since he was so young and a very visual learner, I knew he would still need to see a character that looked like him somewhere. Then came Zeek and Team Supreme, and the rest is history.

More Jaiden & Zeek Highlights

Throughout the years, Jaiden’s Zeek cosplays and his mission for more positive Autism awareness and acceptance has led to multiple features in several magazines and media sites including ATTN, People, and NowThis News (our video garnered over 1 Million views).