Free Republic

After a spine-tingling vocal and piano performance, crowd favorite Kodi Lee, who is blind and autistic, was crowned the winner of America's Got Talent. The California-born breakout star, 23, was visibly in disbelief as confetti fell and his name was announced. Earlier in the evening, Kodi had sent viewers on an emotional roller coaster as he performed the track You Are The Reason in a stirring duet with Grammy Award-winner Leona Lewis. As he was ultimately named victorious, he said, 'I feel so amazing; unbelievable' as he realized he had won the $1 million prize.

A boy who has autism has become an overnight internet sensation, after his family shared a clip of him singing on social media. Justin Kiely from Dublin, Ireland, who was diagnosed with autism when he was three-years-old, had been hiding his vocal abilities from his parents until recently. The nine-year-old had a history of becoming hysterical whenever he heard loud noises, meaning his parents avoided bringing him to any birthday parties, crowds and large gatherings. His sensitivity to sound due to his autism made his parents apprehensive to expose him to loud music, or any noise that could trigger him....