Kyle Abplanalp, an eighth-grade student at Lincoln Middle School, was honored with the 2026 Yes I Can Award for School and Community by the Council for Exceptional Children, according to a May 29 announcement. The award recognizes the achievements of children and youth with exceptionalities and aims to increase public awareness of the abilities and aspirations of students with disabilities.
Abplanalp, who is on the autism spectrum and has celiac disease, has been supported in his academic journey and community involvement. His nominator said that while academic and social tasks do not always come easily to him, “he works harder than any kid I know.” Abplanalp’s efforts include participation in Boy Scouts since kindergarten, where he holds a Star Rank. He volunteers regularly at Feed My Starving Children and Summit Retirement.
In addition to his volunteer work, Abplanalp is active in extracurricular activities. He has been a member of the Park District’s Riptides Swim Team since first grade, runs on Lincoln’s Cross Country Team, plays violin in the Lincoln Philharmonic Orchestra, and participated in school theater productions such as “Matilda.” This year he joined Acing Autism, an organization that uses tennis to support children with autism.
The award led Abplanalp and his family to Salt Lake City for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Convention and Expo. His mother, Chrystal Abplanalp—an Education Support Professional at Lincoln—said Kyle was excited about visiting Utah for the first time: “We had never been to Utah before, so this was definitely a fun destination for Kyle and our family.”
Chrystal also expressed appreciation for educators attending the event: it was “great to see so many special educators eager to learn more ways to truly benefit their students.”
