A book about a boy and a garden

When I was 7 or 8, so about 2005 or 2006, my teacher read us thos boom about a handicapped child, I think it was a boy, and the child was autistic or mentally handicapped in someway. He has a really terrible home life and is often beaten. He finds a garden where he can relax and I believe the garden belonged to an old lady neighbor or something. This book was read to us in class, so I cant really remember if it was hardover or how long it was, but my class of 7 and 8 year olds probably wasnt the target audience. I do distinctly remember a scene where his dad (or step dad) beats him with a belt. Sorry for the sparce details this book has been in the back of my head for awhile now and sorry for any formatting errors I am on mobile.

Update: Solved. Its the Loterry Rose by Irene Hunt. Thanks for the help u/StimulantMold