ᴊᴏᴇʏ (ғᴜʟʟ ʙɪᴏ)

Joey is autistic, and was almost entirely nonverbal until age eleven. Up until then, he usually chose to communicate with cards or drawings. Joey has always loved pinks, purples, and anything pastel. He keeps his hair very short, but wears his favorite wig every day. Though he has learned a lot about transgender and gender-nonconforming people, he doesn't quite feel that he fits the description, so he mostly sticks with male pronouns. Joey's favorite thing in the entire world is a stuffed unicorn that he got when he was three. It goes with him to all of his therapy visits, and lives in his backpack when he goes to school.

Joey used to hate going out in public because people would stare at him for stimming, or expect him to answer questions. Fortunately, he got lucky with one of the best therapists in town, and she helped him feel more comfortable with himself. Most of Joey's stimming includes rubbing his clothing or hair between his fingers, rocking, tapping, or humming. When he is especially happy, he likes to twirl around until he gets to dizzy to continue. Though he did speak a few words during his childhood, he didn't truly develop speech until eleven. This is when he discovered rhymes, and wanted to learn to say them all out loud because of how fun it felt. He started working a lot harder in speach therapy, and it slowly paid off.

Joey was born to Maria and Howard Carvahol, who were thrilled to have their first child. As Joey began to develop and show signs of autism, Maria decided to research and understand everything she could. Howard preferred to ignore the signs, or make excuses. When Joey was diagnosed, Howard started spending less and less time at home. Within a few years, the couple divorced and Maria took full custody of Joey.

Maria loves Joey more than anything, and is super accepting of all his quirks and interests, including his love for feminine clothing and wearing his "unicorn wig" as they've named it. She's given up a lot for him, including her marriage, but she doesn't regret a thing.

Though public school never seemed like an option for Joey in his younger years, as he started his teens, he started to get curious about it. Through a therapist and some great school councilors, Joey was able to start as a freshman in the local high school. His councilor set him up with a group of four other freshman that were more than happy to take on "best friend" duties, and though some bullying does still occur, Joey is surrounded by a lot of good people and strong support. 

• Joey's stuffed unicorn doesn't have an actual name- just a sound that he associates with it. It sounds something like "Aaaiya"
• Joey loves kids books, even though his reading level is well above that. Picture books and rhymes are his absolute favorite.
• Joey is very picky about food textures, but generally indifferent to taste. Anything with a "gritty" texture, especially beans, is an absolute no.

• Pinks, Purples, and Pastel Colors.
• Clothing with ribbons, frills, lace, or interesting textures or patterns. Since his favorite stim is rubbing fabric between his fingers, this is a big part of choosing clothes for him. 
• Refrigerated cucumber slices. Something about the texture and how cold they are makes Joey really happy. This is his daily after-school snack.
• Homework. Joey much prefers doing his schoolwork in privacy, so he can take all the time he needs without outside distraction. 

• Denim. Absolutely hates it.
• Most meat; though he will eat chicken and turkey, Joey has never been interested in eating pork or beef. He vehemently refuses to eat fish because they are related to mermaids.
• Trains, buses, and any other crowded transportation. 
• Direct questions. It's much easier to get an answer out of Joey by making a statement than asking a question. The pressure of an expected answer makes him uncomfortable, and he will usually stop speaking.