This guest post is Holly Connor, a young woman on the autism spectrum who was accepted into Webster University. Holly is applying for the Spring 2025 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 the Next Chapter: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams will be released on Amazon on 3/25/25 and looks at the lives over 75 Autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book will go back to supporting our nonprofits many initiatives, like this scholarship program. Check out the book here.
Hi there. I was born with a rare disease called Septo Optic Dysplasia (SOD) that causes blindness and autism. Due to SOD, I also have the rare disease Panhypopitutarism, which causes Diabetes Insipidus (Kidney Deficiency) and other life-threatening illnesses. Here is my story.
I was born in Seattle with no complications. From day one, my parents noticed I never seemed to look at them and cried nonstop. They were assured by my pediatrician that my eyes were simply developing at a slower rate and not to worry. By four months, I showed no improvement and was diagnosed with SOD and Panhypopituitarism. A person with SOD has optic nerves that are small and poorly developed. Instead of having over 1 million nerve fibers from each eye to the brain, there are far fewer connections. I am rare in that I was affected in both eyes and could see little to nothing at birth.
Besides being blind, I displayed signs of autism at an early age. The combination of being blind and autistic made for a difficult time, particularly the first 4 years. Until I was three years old, I: wouldn’t walk outside, eat solid foods, go anywhere with fluorescent lighting, sleep through the night, wear shoes or any clothing below the knees or elbows, and I cried pretty much nonstop.
In contrast to my daily medical challenges, my parents discovered my musical talent at a very young age. When I was only one month old, my mom played a Winnie the Pooh tape, and I immediately stopped crying. Music seemed to be the only thing that calmed me. My parents then observed the following: At six months old, I began playing the piano with my hands and my feet. At one, I could count to one hundred, sing the alphabet backward, and play simple notes on the piano. It was at this point my parents realized I had instant memory. By two, I could play any song by ear on the piano. At three, my parents discovered my perfect pitch, vibrato, and I could identify the keys of songs. At four, I started piano lessons with a teacher specifically trained for kids with Autism. By seven, I could recognize and play complex chords on the piano. At eight, I picked up the harmonica, recorder, and ukulele. This was also around the time I started being ok in public, so we attended live theater and kids’ performances every weekend.
At age nine, I joined my first choir, began working with a vocal coach, and attended my first vocal/piano classes. This year also marked my first performance at a summer camp in which my singing was highlighted; I sang “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music, which then planted the seed for enrolling in musical theater classes and stage performances. When I was ten, I participated in my first piano recital and first vocal competition. I sang opera and musical theater pieces and took 1st place for my age group. Shortly after, we moved to St. Louis for my dad’s job.
Within the first year of living in St. Louis, I joined my first community choir, was cast as the lead in a musical, found a vocal coach, started training in dance, discovered my love of jazz, and so much more. The past ten years living in St. Louis have changed my life, to say the least. I have performed in over one hundred musicals, plays, operas, recitals, cabarets, and revues in school, youth, and professional organizations. I also love singing live national anthems; these are a few to note: NHL, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Ol Reign, STL City, and White Sox. I continue to grow, make new friends, and expand the community’s perception of being a blind and autistic stage performer.
My life has not been without challenges that impact my achievements. For example, I have a hard time with comprehension, and I struggle with written communication. I also have trouble navigating the spaces by myself; I get anxious in open spaces, drop-offs, and stairs. Scheduling changes and unanticipated events are also hard to comprehend. I have a full-time personal care attendant with me at school who helps me with these and other issues. There are additional challenges I face as a stage performer. A few examples are when performing choreography, being onstage knowing there is a pit orchestra and stage drop-off, and when music is given to me in PDF instead of Braille. My friends, family, school support team, and community members work with me to adapt to the above, ensuring I can participate and feel safe and included.
I am a Sophomore in University studying to get a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a minor in Spanish. Starting college was a little scary. Now in my second year, I love my community. The teachers are nice and accommodating. My peers help me in class and on stage in performances. The disability office, while a little slow at first getting braille, has gotten into a flow of getting me the materials I need in time. I am so glad I decided to go to college, and I cannot wait for what the future holds. Some of my ultimate goals include being a guest soloist with symphonies, a voice actor, and a music educator providing therapy to people with disabilities.
One year ago, I started an internship with a nonprofit that provides music education for individuals with disabilities of all ages. Alongside a special education music teacher, I help teach classes to individuals of all ages. We create a daily schedule that includes a theme, song of the day, instrument highlight, and movement activity, all adapted for the participants. We both sing and lead the classes on guitar, pianos, and other instruments we are highlighting. We work as a team, and I love it.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help us continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Also, consider having Kerry, one of the only professionally accredited speakers on the spectrum in the country, speak at your next event by sending him an inquiry here. If you have a referral for someone who many want him to speak please reach out as well! Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, parent groups and other special events on topics ranging from employment, how to succeed in college with a learning disability, internal communication, living with autism, bullying prevention, social media best practices, innovation, presentation best practices and much more!
