The Grand Rapids Press

When Steve Tokarski first heard that his son Leo had been voted prom king last month by his fellow students at Forest Hills Central High School, his first thought, he said, was "Oh no, what's the punch line?"

Senior Leo Tokarski, 17, the oldest of three children of Steve and Dee Tokarski, has Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.

When the family moved to Grand Rapids a little more than two years ago from the other side of the state, they were still smarting from his former schoolmates' poor treatment.

"The kids at Leo's other school were not nice to him at all," Dee Tokarski said. "He was ridiculed and picked on there, and here it's just been the total opposite. It's really made a huge difference for all of us."

According to the Autism Society of America, autism is a developmental disability that impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that autism and its associated behaviors are estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 500 people.

"We're thrilled that Leo was prom king," said his mother, "but the real story here is how much it says about the other kids, how they looked beyond his difference and knew he would really get so much out of being chosen."

People with Asperger's tend to have normal intelligence or above, but Leo has to make an extra effort when it comes to socializing.

He put himself out last fall when he hammed it up in a lip-synch skit with a bunch of other senior guys during a pre-homecoming assembly.

"I think that's what did it," Leo said, "but I still wish I knew. All I can think of is it was just pure dumb luck."

Laura Stiles, junior class advisor and social studies teacher, said Leo got on the ballot "the way anyone else gets on the ballot -- the kids voted for him."

The seniors elected the court members -- five boys and five girls -- then the seniors and juniors elected the king and queen from that list.

"Leo is a super guy, he's brilliant," said Stiles, who once had him in her world studies class. "I think the kids have been around him a couple of years now, and they respect him... his ability to participate in regular activities and be a part of the school community has been really great, and the other kids just realize that."

People with Asperger's tend to fixate on objects or behaviors. In Leo's case, it's computers. His knowledge in that area far exceeds that of most, and he hopes to attend Davenport University in the fall to pursue a career in computer programming.

"I wrote my first program when I was five," Leo explained. "That's also when I discovered the problem with pseudo-random number generation. That's... oh, nevermind."

Though Leo went stag to the prom, held on April 28 at the B.O.B. downtown, he got to rent his first tuxedo for the event.

"It was a little stuffy," he recalled, "but there was a good breeze going that night, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

His parents took him out for pizza before, then chaperoned the event and got it all on videotape.

Prom queen Grace Pollert, 17, made a point to break away from her date to dance with her king.

"Leo is just really special," she said. "I think everybody had really good intentions (in voting him king). I'm really glad he got this."

Leo said he won't soon forget his senior prom.

"Hearing everyone yell my name, 'Le-o, Le-o,' that was so great," he said. "It was like being a rock star, only without the drugs."