LAPLACE — Like most parents, Brandi and Bobby Robinson weren’t sure how their baby daughter, Sara-Rachelle, would handle dance classes.

Like most parents, the Robinsons took the chance, enrolling their 18-month-old in local classes and hoped for the best.

They never dreamed it would pay such dividends.

Sara-Rachelle, 7, has autism. She has some motor difficulties and sensory issues, especially concerning touch.

Communication often is difficult, and she sometimes becomes overwhelmed with her surroundings.

When she is on the stage, however, Sara-Rachelle just lights up, Brandi said.

“She just took to it,” Brandi said. “She is 100 percent comfortable in the dance studio.”

Sara-Rachelle doesn’t just dance, she is in competitive dance at Aimee’s Dance Academy in LaPlace, holding her own even with dancers who are older.

Matthew Caillet has seen the transformation.

A member of the executive committee for the Louisiana Council for Exceptional Children (and an educator, like Brandi Robinson), Caillet thought Sara-Rachelle should be recognized for her hard work, so he nominated her for one of the Council’s awards, presented every year to students with special needs.

At a ceremony Monday at the group’s annual conference in Lafayette, Sara-Rachelle received the Council’s Yes I Can Award in arts, presented to an exceptional child who excels in the arts.

During the presentation, Sara-Rachelle received a plaque from Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards, along with a $100 scholarship.

Brandi said it will be used to help her daughter receive private dance lessons.

Brandi said Sara-Rachelle was thrilled with both awards.

“My child is all about the trophies,” Brandi said. “So, when they handed her the plaque, she yelled, ‘It’s so big.’ And when they gave her the check, she yelled, on the stage, ‘I got money!’ She was very excited. For her it was an affirmation that it’s OK to be different and she could be honored just for being herself.”

Caillet said Sara-Rachelle is an exceptional example of what special needs students are capable of doing when given the opportunity.

“Despite sensory issues and other autism traits, she has performed on the stage in front of hundreds,” he said. “She is open about her autism and is a positive spokesperson in the community for those with special needs.”

Brandi said Sara-Rachelle, an honor student at Sacred Heart School in Norco, is very capable of explaining her condition.

“When she was diagnosed, we sat her down and explained it to her,” Brandi said. “We didn’t want to keep her in the dark. She is very much her own advocate. She tells people, ‘God made me special. My brain just works different.’ Then she always adds, ‘It’s not contagious.’ That’s very important for her.”

Brandi said Sara-Rachelle, the middle of her three children, was diagnosed at the age of 4.

“We noticed some things, that she seemed to be delayed in her motor skills,” Brandi said.  “We thought she was just clumsy.”

Sara-Rachelle was already enrolled in dance classes, but they worried about how she might handle recitals.

“That could be just sensory overload,” Brandi said. “She just loved it. She took to it immediately. She has no trouble going on stage. In the classroom, she still has difficulty raising her hand for a pencil.”

Through dance, Sara-Rachelle has become more coordinated, communicative and social.

“The girls in her class know she just has her quirks,” Brandi said. “They just accept her as she is.”