New Jersey teen with autism has wildly successful YouTube channel

A New Jersey girl is bringing attention to autism while having a good time on her YouTube channel.

According to ABC 6 Philadelphia, 13-year-old Illiana Figueroa started the channel Toy Quest 101 after her dad, Miguel, challenged her to start making videos like the ones she enjoyed watching online.

At first, she was hesitant, telling her dad that she couldn’t because she has autism, which Miguel says broke his heart. After another nudge, Illiana decided, with her dad’s help, to give it a shot. Her channel centers around pop culture, comics, and, of course, toys. She unboxes new items and reviews them along with the occasional interview.

According to her channel, Illiana's goal is to “transform the lives of children with autism and special needs worldwide and inspire the lives of children and families through our videos and our story. Our vision is to bring awareness and promote a culture of acceptance where all kids with autism and special needs can be empowered to do what they set their mind to and not feel that their disability is a road block to accomplishing their dreams and or wishes."

To say that the endeavor has been successful is putting it mildly; in the video above, they unbox their YouTube “Play Button” award which they received for passing the 100,000 subscriber mark. You can check out all her videos (she’s been doing this since 2017), subscribe, and browse through her merchandise store here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.