Keene's Crossing Elementary student with autism goes viral for talent show routine

Keene’s Crossing Elementary School has a budding YouTube star. Jack Reichwein, who went viral for his hula-hoop routine in his school talent show Wednesday, May 22. 

The 9-year-old’s performance has had more than 66,000 views on Facebook, and the number keeps rising. Jack’s routine was done to the song “Cha-Cha Slide,” and the third-grader barely looked nervous. 

The incoming fourth-grader said he practiced a whole summer teaching himself how to hula-hoop. He was a little nervous at first but liked performing in front of all his friends at the talent show. 

“It was cool,” he said while grinning and holding his blue hoop. His friends liked his routine, he added.

His mother, Kristen Price Reichwein, teaches fourth grade at Keene’s Crossing and was happy he did so well. It was the first time he had been in the talent show.

Jack has autism, but that doesn’t slow him down. He has taught himself how to hula-hoop, dance and do gymnastics. He even won a hooping competition at Disney Springs.

“We don’t let anything stop us,” Kristen said. 

Jack was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, developmental issues and childhood anxiety in 2012 at age 4. Kristen said. However, she started to notice developmental delays at age 1. Jack, for example, didn’t talk until he was 3, she said. 

Now, Jack doesn’t stop talking — nor does he sit still. He’s always moving, his mother said. Jack is involved in drama club, chess club, piano lessons, dancing and gymnastics when he’s not twisting with his hoop. 

Autism is often misunderstood, she said. 

“It’s quite the spectrum,” Kristen said. “Every child presents different (characteristics). I think it’s what makes him amazing.” 

The Reichweins are Disney annual passholders, and Jack’s talent show performance got a lot of support from the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Facebook group. 

“I want to be famous,” Jack said. 

Right now, his page has 76 subscribers, but the count is growing. He checks his page every day to see if he got any more followers and checks to see how many views his talent show video has received.  

“I couldn’t ask for a sweeter, kinder-hearted soul than Jack,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine my life without him.”