Al Roker and Deborah Roberts' Son with Special Needs Makes Them Proud by Getting into College

Al Rocker and his wife, ABC News correspondent, Deborah Roberts, celebrate a milestone in their son's life after getting accepted into college.

In an emotional Instagram clip on Al Rocker's account, the proud parents stand off-camera as their son Nick relays to them the exciting news.

Nick said he was excited about the acceptance before he high-fived his dad and embraced his mother in celebration. The smile on his face was enough evidence of how thrilled he was at the idea of joining college.

Al Rocker, his wife Deborah Roberts and their son Nick | Photo: Instagram.com/debrobertsabc

Opening up about the big news on the Thursday episode of "The View," Roberts disclosed how proud they were of their son, who has dealt with developmental issues and learning disabilities all his life.

Nick was born with special needs, and according to his dad, he may be obsessive-compulsive and is somewhere on the autism spectrum. These labels, Rocker says, do not in any way begin to describe who Nick is.

The condition, however, has not limited the 19-year-old from reaching his goals. Roberts shared some of Nick's achievements over the years, saying that he has swum competitively and even gotten a black belt in Taekwondo.

He has also taken basketball and chess lessons. Roberts says Nick also tried training for the marathon but changed his mind. In July, however, Rocker uploaded clips of his son racing for charity.

The proud dad took videos of his boy as he participated in and completed two races amid nasty weather. Captioning one of the clips, Rocker and his wife said how proud they were of their son, while a fan noted that at that moment, the two were the proudest parents on earth.

Fans, too, were proud, and they flocked the comment section to congratulate the youngster on his achievements. They referred to him as inspiring and incredible.

Despite Nick being outgoing and a hard worker, Rocker says parenting a special needs child is not an easy fit. He disclosed that he does sometimes get frustrated with his son. Rocker opened up to Guideposts magazine, as reported by People:

"But then I remember my dad, how understanding he was. And Deborah reminds me that I have to show my son not only that I love him but that I like him as well."

Watching his son conquer life's challenges has made Rocker want to be a better person. Every day he watches his son overcome hurdles that people with his condition often don't, and it makes him all the more proud to be his father.

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