Mariah Carey calls video of an autistic kid singing 'All I Want for Christmas Is You’ pure 'JOY'
It was #AutisticJoy on full display.

Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at Disney World.
One of the most common misconceptions about people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is that they are emotionless. The disorder exists on a spectrum, so everyone is different, but people with ASD experience the same emotions as everyone else and sometimes more intensely.
“Sometimes, an individual with autism may display their emotions differently than one might expect, but this does not mean they are emotionless,” Autism Learning Partners wrote. “Some individuals with autism may internalize their feelings, not as a direct result of autism, but because of external factors such as bullying or trauma.”
A viral video posted by mother Jennifer White-Johnson shows that people with ASD have no problem experiencing emotions and when that’s mixed with self-confidence can result in eruptions of pure, unbridled joy.
On December 13, White-Johnson posted a video of her son Knox, 10, performing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey and it was pure joy. Knox has ASD but that didn’t hold him back from performing. In fact, it’s probably one of the reasons why he was so carefree.
"Timeline cleanse if you need one!” White-Johnson wrote in her post. “Knox tonight at his 4th-grade school winter concert singing @MariahCarey 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' #AutisticJoy on full display! My kid is everything! I hope Mariah sees this!!"
\u201cTimeline cleanse if you need one! Knox tonight at his 4th grade school winter concert singing @MariahCarey \u2018All I Want For Christmas Is You\u2019 #AutisticJoy on full display! My kid is everything! I hope Mariah sees this!!\u201d— Jen White-Johnson (@Jen White-Johnson) 1670991490
The amazing thing is that Carey, the Queen of Christmas, saw the video and reposted it on Twitter. “Your kid IS everything!!!!!!” Carey wrote. “Knox, you made my day. Your JOY gives me and everyone watching JOY. THANK YOU for reminding me why I wake up in the morning and do what I do. I love you.”
\u201cYour kid IS everything!!!!!! Knox, you made my day. Your JOY gives me and everyone watching JOY. THANK YOU for reminding me why I wake up in the morning and do what I do. I love you \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Mariah Carey (@Mariah Carey) 1671040429
The family had Carey’s tweet framed and Knox thanked her in a response video. “Thank you Mariah for making me feel so alive in my life. I’ve never felt so overjoyed in my life, Amen,” Knox said.
\u201cWhat he says in the video: \u2018Thank you Mariah for making me feel so alive in my life. I\u2019ve never felt so overjoyed in my life, Amen\u2019 @MariahCarey #MariahCarey #AutisticJoy\u201d— Jen White-Johnson (@Jen White-Johnson) 1671397620
White-Johnson was happy that her video could show people a side of ASD that people try to hide.
"We don't want to shush our son and we don't want to make it a point to say you're being too loud when all he's really doing is being happy," White-Johnson told Good Morning America. "Even going further, with a Black autistic child, there's certain expectations of what that child's behavior is going to be like. I've even heard various people say that they're surprised he can even emote to that degree because they didn't think that young, autistic children could do that. And it's like, well, he's still a human being and he has feelings and he has emotions that he's excited to share. And while he's still navigating this kind of experience that he has, he knows that he's free to explore what that means for him."
Kudos to White-Johnson for sharing the video of her child’s performance because it’s a joy to watch and it shows a side of ASD that more people need to understand. When people see that people with ASD have big feelings, it lifts the stigma surrounding the disorder and makes it more likely they'll be treated like everyone else.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.