Virginia boy, 9, creates autism comfort kits, named TIME's Kid of the Year

A nine-year-old boy from Virginia has been named TIME's 2026 Kid of the Year for creating emergency comfort kits for children with autism. Ledger Mann started the initiative after hearing about a search for a missing child with autism. The incident made him think about how frightening emergencies could be for children who struggle with unfamiliar surroundings, loud sounds and bright lights.Ledger's father, JT Mann, is a sergeant with the Prince George County Police Department. After returning from a search operation, he told his family about a boy who had gone missing. The child was eventually found hiding inside a storage cabinet beneath a gas grill on the back deck of his home.The boy had autism and sensory-processing challenges. First responders had searched the surrounding area with police officers, firefighters, a drone and search dogs before finding him. JT had used a video on his phone to get the child's attention and help him feel less afraid.Ledger, who also has autism, understood how overwhelming the experience could have been. “I felt a little sad for him,” Ledger said, as quoted by Time. “I felt a little bad for him.”How Ledger came up with the ideaAfter hearing his father's account, Ledger began thinking about what could help children with autism feel safer during emergencies.