More Than an "Idol"

At the end of Season Two of American Idol, singer Clay Aiken was one of the last two left standing on the stage. Although his dream to be an Idol was given to Ruben Studdard, his other dream grew stronger: inclusion for Special Needs children.

What a lot of people don't know was that Clay was attending UNC-CH and getting his degree in Special Education before he auditioned for American Idol. It was during this time Clay met Diane Bubel and her young son, Mike, and his life was changed forever.

"When Clay met the Bubel family," said Kristy Barnes, Director of Marketing and Operations of the Aiken/Bubel Foundation. "He was one on one for Mike Bubel, Diane Bubel's son. He watched Mike after school and took him out into the community, but he wished that Mike would have the opportunity to go to summer camp, like in the camps Clay had worked at in the past."

Mike has Autism. Although not a life-threatening disorder, it affects how Mike is able to function in social situations. Children with Autism aren't able to enjoy activities and close social contact in the same way as their peers. But just because they enjoy such activities differently, doesn't mean they should be excluded from them.

"Clay and Diane often talked about how nice it would be for Mike to participate in the same activities Diane's daughter Emma or the children Clay worked with at summer camp." Barnes said. "Diane encouraged Clay to try out for American Idol and he used this opportunity to educate others about inclusion."
The bond between Clay and Diane grew stronger as they shared a vision of a world where children-all children--could enjoy what life has to offer. As boldly stated on the Aiken/Bubel website, Clay and Diane both witnessed how "children with disabilities [were] repeatedly turned away from activities opened to typical children." They were determined to end this.