This guest post is by Abigail Farnsworth, a young woman on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with autism at 17 years old and has been accepted into Ashland University. Abigail is applying for the Spring 2022 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship via the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference started by me, Kerry Magro. I was nonverbal till 2.5 and diagnosed with autism at 4, and you can read more about my organization here. Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams, our nonprofit’s new book, was released on March 29, 2022, on Amazon here for our community to enjoy featuring the stories of 100 autistic adults.
I have struggled with some of the challenges of ASD since early childhood. For much of this time, I was undiagnosed but I knew I was “different.” Many people around me assumed I was just shy; but in reality there was so much more hidden behind my quiet, anxious nature. I faced significant challenges trying to live in a world where I had to conform and “pretend to be normal”. My life with ASD has been a bumpy journey, one filled with challenges but also with amazing success.
As a young child, school was excruciating. I hated the rigid structure of the one-size-fits-all environment where I was not allowed to think outside the box. Instead of being encouraged to be myself, I was pushed to be like everyone else. I was the strange child who did not dress, speak, or act like everyone else. I knew I was “different” but I did not understand why. It was difficult for me to make friends. My peers avoided me, and even bullied me for being different. Many people around me assumed I was just shy; but in reality there was so much more hidden behind my quiet, anxious nature.
The worst part of elementary school was in third grade when I was told I was not smart enough to be in the gifted program (because of standardized test results). Like many people with ASD my brain is not wired to be successful on standardized tests. Expecting a person with ASD to succeed on a standardized test is like telling a fish to run; no matter how hard they try, it is not going to happen.
What my teachers did not understand was that I was in fact very smart, just not in a way that they were familiar with. Most people with ASD are particularly gifted in certain areas while struggling in others. My strengths involve words and creativity – reading, writing, and storytelling – while I find math to be extremely challenging. In a public school system that views math scores as the ultimate test of intelligence, I was not considered smart. Instead of learning more about my abilities, they declared that I was not smart enough to be part of their program. The day they tried to crush my spirit is the day I became determined to prove them wrong!
I became obsessed with proving my abilities both inside and outside of the classroom. Middle school was just as challenging as elementary school. I managed to slide by in sixth grade but was miserable. Daily life was overwhelming. The students were cruel, and most of the teachers were in my opinion. uncaring. Though I loved learning about my favorite subjects, school became my own personal nightmare. I suffered intense bullying and harassment, changing me in ways that I am still unable to fully comprehend and causing me to develop severe depression and anxiety. In seventh grade, my parents and I decided that I should transfer to a different middle school. While moving to a new school helped, it did not reverse the damage that was already done.
When I reached high school, the social environment was again daunting. My only relief was that I was finally considered smart. I took Advanced Placement classes and passed the exams (something not common at my school)! My English and history teachers recognized and complimented my skills. I was so thrilled that my intelligence was finally being acknowledged. When I was finally officially diagnosed with ASD at 17 years old, it brought with it an immense sense of relief and understanding in terms of “why” some things are so incredibly hard for me. Though the social aspects of school are still very challenging, I have become better at understanding my condition and managing my strengths and weaknesses.
Despite what my parents and I were told when I was young, I am now very successful academically and am at the top of my class. I now recognize my very special gifts of creativity, imagination, reading, and writing. At sixteen-years-old, I signed my first book contract and became a traditionally published author. I now have three books released to the public with three more under contract. Next year, I am planning to attend Ashland University and have already been accepted into the Ashbrook Scholar Program: a nationally renowned program combining political science, history, and economics. Within the Ashbrook program, I have finally found “my place” where I am comfortable and I can thrive – I am so excited to begin my studies there!
I have overcome the odds and am succeeding! At eighteen-years-old, I have finally accomplished the goal I set for myself as a young girl in third grade. I have proven to myself and others my abilities both inside and outside the classroom. I now recognize the gift of autism in the incredible strengths I possess. I may not be “normal” but I am successful! I accepted my disability, embraced my strengths, and my neurodivergent mind helped me accomplish my dreams!
Having a neurodivergent mind does not make someone defective, but rather uniquely effective in their own way. Amazing things are possible when individuals with autism are encouraged to embrace and utilize their unique strengths and they stop “pretending to be normal”.
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, Tiktok, Youtube & Instagram,
My name is Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum. I started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue post-secondary education. Help support me so I can continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams was released on March 29, 2022 on Amazon here for our community to enjoy featuring the stories of 100 autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book will go back to our nonprofit to support initiatives like our autism scholarship program. In addition, this autistic adult’s essay you just read will be featured in a future volume of this book as we plan on making this into a series of books on autistic adults.
