JEFFERSON TWP — Anna Knapp can't help but tear up when she talks about the students at Knoch High School who voted her daughter, Phoebe, the 2018 homecoming queen.

“It's an amazing thing for those kids to vote for a special needs kid who's just a little different,” Knapp said of the students in grades nine through 12, all of whom voted to choose one girl from the homecoming court to advance to the status of queen.

Phoebe, who has regressive autism, is thrilled that she is the queen bee.

“The whole school voted for me!” Phoebe exclaimed with a huge smile. “My Mom is surprised that I'm homecoming queen.”

Anna's cell phone video of the Knoch homecoming court lined up on the arms of their fathers during halftime on Oct. 19 contains the usual stadium noises before the announcement of the winner. When “Miss Phoebe Knapp” is announced, Anna's overwhelmed sobs overtake the video as Phoebe can be seen reacting to her new royal stature by hugging her father, Kyle Knapp.

Anna feels the students voted for Phoebe because they have grown along with her as they all progressed through middle and high school at South Butler and, in the case of some on the homecoming court, in Saxonburg Spartans Cheerleading.

“I was thrilled and surprised,” Anna said. “They say children are our future and let's hope so, because these kids are really special and treat her as a person.”

She explained that Phoebe was progressing normally, hitting all the milestones, until age 15 months.

Phoebe had a bad reaction to a vaccine and developed a rash from her knees to her belly and hives all over her body.

But the worst was the toddler's tortured screaming for four straight hours.

“I never heard a baby cry like that before,” Anna said. “She's not my first, so I knew things were going on.”

Phoebe slowly regressed and stopped talking, Anna said.

Her pediatrician in San Diego, where the family lived when Kyle was stationed there, said he wouldn't test for autism or developmental delays until age 2.

The family moved to the area when Phoebe was 18 months old, and her new pediatrician said his practice was to test at age 2½.

By the time the family got a referral to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, there was an eight-month backlog of cases to be seen.

Finally, the family received a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder, which is the term used for very young children who are suspected of having autism. Eventually, she received the diagnosis they expected.

But that didn't stop the Knapps from enrolling Phoebe in many different activities, which she advocates for children with special needs.

Phoebe played softball and attended various camps in addition to participating in cheerleading, and she lettered last year in swim team at Knoch.

She is also a Girl Scout.

“The kids find it hard to have patience (with Phoebe), and the Girl Scout leaders taught the girls to have patience,” Anna said.

She also won the title of “Miss Glitter” in the annual 22 Quties Pageant and competed in the Miss Saxonburg Pageant at age 12.

Phoebe takes regular and Life Skills classes at Knoch High School, and attends Butler County Vocational-Technical School.

“We are very proud of her,” Anna said.

Phoebe's sister, Lydia, is a sophomore at Knoch High School and was to be standing at attention as a majorette on homecoming night. But when Phoebe's name was announced as homecoming queen, Lydia had trouble containing her joy.

Lydia said Phoebe deserves the title.

“She's a nice person and she can't help it (that she has autism),” Lydia said. “It's not her fault, and it's not like she can get rid of it.”

South Butler Superintendent David Foley said everyone is thrilled that the students voted for Phoebe.

“We are pleased that Phoebe was the winner,” Foley said. “She's a great student and a nice person and it's a wonderful thing for her and her family.”

The Knapps are still on cloud nine over Phoebe's win.

“She'll remember this day the rest of her life, and so will we,” Anna said.