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Everybody needs food, electricity, clothes, money — some of life’s necessities that are often topics of discussion among families and friends.
But one of life’s most important necessities (so necessary that years ago it was politely called “the necessary”) is, in fact, seldom talked about.
However, John Michael Gigliotti, a 14-year-old eighth grade student at Carbondale Area Jr. Sr. High School, is not shy about the subject.
In fact, John Michael is a big fan of toilets.
He knows practically everything about toilets. His father, Carbondale City Councilman John Gigliotti, says his son has been fascinated by the types, styles, brands and various functioning systems of toilets since he was about three years old.
John Michael’s interest in toilets is not the only challenge to his family. At about age 3, John Michael was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. It has been linked to abnormal chemistry in the brain, but the exact causes are unknown.
“When we’d go somewhere, like to a store,” John explains, “if we took John Michael to the restroom before we shopped, and he flushed the toilet, he would calm down. So we made it a routine wherever we went, which helped him transition from one activity to another.”
There are many symptoms of autism; one of them — repetitive behavior — may be why the sameness, over and over again, of the operation of a toilet focused John Michael’s attention, to the point where he developed a need to know how various commodes work. When he was old enough to operate a computer, John Michael looked up ‘toilet,’ and a whole new world of knowledge opened up to him.
“I’m a toilet expert,” John Michael admits.
With that in mind, his father thought John Michael might be interested in visiting a toilet factory, so he called one of the leading international manufacturers of bathroom facilities, American Standard, and was able to arrange a personal tour of its factory in Piscataway, New Jersey, last March.
Officials at American Standard were astounded by this 14-year-old’s knowledge of the various toilet models and how they function.
They took him to their testing facility, where John Michael ran his own tests of various products.
“There’s manual or automatic flush, pressure assist to control water pressure, different types of bowl wash, how the water swirls,” John Michael says. “The type of glaze on the toilet can help prevent mold and mildew. A toilet that uses less water is sensible and can save money.”
Before he left the factory, John Michael was given the opportunity to pick any toilet he wanted to take with him and have installed in his home.
Then last summer, John Michael was at Russell Park, and was not happy with the restroom facilities there. He suggested to his dad that they contact American Standard and work on replacing the toilets, sinks and urinals at the playground. Mayor Justin Taylor and the city’s Dept. of Parks & Recreation sent the company pictures of the current facility.
American Standard responded by telling John Michael to determine what was needed at the park, and then John Michael could order it, and the company would donate whatever John Michael thought was necessary to improve the facility.
“This is my project, and it’s right,” John Michael says. “The toilets at the park are totally bad, stall doors are horrible, there’s no soap for kids to wash their hands. And better toilets will help the city save lots of money on water. And kids don’t remember to flush, so an automatic sensor will help keep the toilets clean for the daycampers.”
John Michael’s parents, John and Gloria, admit they weren’t totally comfortable about their son’s obsession with toilets, but now they see it as a “beam of light” in John Michael’s daily challenges with autism.
“We decided we had to accept him for who he is,” Gloria says. “He’s a person first, a person with autism, but autism doesn’t define who he is. His special interest has led him to create a project that will do something good, something he can be proud of.” (The Gigliottis also have a daughter, Rebekah, 16.)
Mayor Taylor stated, “John Michael is a great young man who saw a need, and put his passion to use. The city is also grateful to American Standard for its generosity, and we commend them for recognizing and encouraging John Michael’s knowledge and concern.”
John Michael is working on what to order, and is looking forward to the improvements his project will make at the park.
“I want to be the last one to flush the old toilets before they put in the new ones,” John Michael says. “I want to say ‘good-bye’ to the old ones. And I want to be the first to test the new ones.”
Everybody needs food, electricity, clothes, money — some of life’s necessities that are often topics of discussion among families and friends.
But one of life’s most important necessities (so necessary that years ago it was politely called “the necessary”) is, in fact, seldom talked about.
However, John Michael Gigliotti, a 14-year-old eighth grade student at Carbondale Area Jr. Sr. High School, is not shy about the subject.
In fact, John Michael is a big fan of toilets.
He knows practically everything about toilets. His father, Carbondale City Councilman John Gigliotti, says his son has been fascinated by the types, styles, brands and various functioning systems of toilets since he was about three years old.
John Michael’s interest in toilets is not the only challenge to his family. At about age 3, John Michael was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. It has been linked to abnormal chemistry in the brain, but the exact causes are unknown.
“When we’d go somewhere, like to a store,” John explains, “if we took John Michael to the restroom before we shopped, and he flushed the toilet, he would calm down. So we made it a routine wherever we went, which helped him transition from one activity to another.”
There are many symptoms of autism; one of them — repetitive behavior — may be why the sameness, over and over again, of the operation of a toilet focused John Michael’s attention, to the point where he developed a need to know how various commodes work. When he was old enough to operate a computer, John Michael looked up ‘toilet,’ and a whole new world of knowledge opened up to him.
“I’m a toilet expert,” John Michael admits.
With that in mind, his father thought John Michael might be interested in visiting a toilet factory, so he called one of the leading international manufacturers of bathroom facilities, American Standard, and was able to arrange a personal tour of its factory in Piscataway, New Jersey, last March.
Officials at American Standard were astounded by this 14-year-old’s knowledge of the various toilet models and how they function.
They took him to their testing facility, where John Michael ran his own tests of various products.
“There’s manual or automatic flush, pressure assist to control water pressure, different types of bowl wash, how the water swirls,” John Michael says. “The type of glaze on the toilet can help prevent mold and mildew. A toilet that uses less water is sensible and can save money.”
Before he left the factory, John Michael was given the opportunity to pick any toilet he wanted to take with him and have installed in his home.
Then last summer, John Michael was at Russell Park, and was not happy with the restroom facilities there. He suggested to his dad that they contact American Standard and work on replacing the toilets, sinks and urinals at the playground. Mayor Justin Taylor and the city’s Dept. of Parks & Recreation sent the company pictures of the current facility.
American Standard responded by telling John Michael to determine what was needed at the park, and then John Michael could order it, and the company would donate whatever John Michael thought was necessary to improve the facility.
“This is my project, and it’s right,” John Michael says. “The toilets at the park are totally bad, stall doors are horrible, there’s no soap for kids to wash their hands. And better toilets will help the city save lots of money on water. And kids don’t remember to flush, so an automatic sensor will help keep the toilets clean for the daycampers.”
John Michael’s parents, John and Gloria, admit they weren’t totally comfortable about their son’s obsession with toilets, but now they see it as a “beam of light” in John Michael’s daily challenges with autism.
“We decided we had to accept him for who he is,” Gloria says. “He’s a person first, a person with autism, but autism doesn’t define who he is. His special interest has led him to create a project that will do something good, something he can be proud of.” (The Gigliottis also have a daughter, Rebekah, 16.)
Mayor Taylor stated, “John Michael is a great young man who saw a need, and put his passion to use. The city is also grateful to American Standard for its generosity, and we commend them for recognizing and encouraging John Michael’s knowledge and concern.”
John Michael is working on what to order, and is looking forward to the improvements his project will make at the park.
“I want to be the last one to flush the old toilets before they put in the new ones,” John Michael says. “I want to say ‘good-bye’ to the old ones. And I want to be the first to test the new ones.”
