This guest post is by Jael Scott, a young woman who attends Grove City College. She is an advocate 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 was 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.
“That’s the X axis, not the Y axis,” my dad reminded me.
He was kind, but his words made me feel like a failure.
When homeschooling in Pennsylvania, I struggled with math. I had no self-confidence and broke down when I got answers wrong, which affected other facets of my education.
I struggled with so much more. My emotions were a mystery to me, and meltdowns occurred daily. I had no words to fit the thoughts and feelings in my head, and I felt suffocated. I suffered from depression and completely lost my sense of identity. I have distinct memories of yelling at my mom about how I didn’t want to exist anymore. Life didn’t feel worth living.
My concerned parents took me to see a psychiatrist, who helped me work through my ever-present anxiety and depression, which led to a defining moment in my life: On February 14, 2018, my father revealed my autism diagnosis to me.
At first, I struggled to handle this news because I questioned my identity and abilities. But with the support of my family and counseling, I came to see this diagnosis as a source of strength—a way to better understand myself and my unique potential.
I still struggled in middle school, but I felt so much happier. My main struggles involved navigating the complex relationships in that environment and learning about my own emotions. I look back now and see how severely I masked my emotions during those years. I mimicked many of my friends and their behaviors. This is not necessarily a bad thing; I learned how to act in situations I used to feel lost in! I learned how to interact and communicate with people. I may have been an awkward middle schooler, but I built lifelong friendships. The funny thing is, many of them have since been diagnosed with neurodivergence, including autism!
High school was a very different experience, because I’ve learned to thrive and grow. I struggle with anxiety because of the increased workload, and my sensory issues have not gone away, but I’ve become a much better advocate for my needs. If I need to take a test in a quiet environment, I just need to speak up! I have learned how to let people see my real, vulnerable self.
I played basketball during all four years of high school, and I often felt like a failure there, too. Even after playing for four years, I’m not a great player. I still make awful passes in games and have no confidence when I dribble. I feel crushed whenever I don’t catch the ball or miss a shot. The season is over now, but I have improved. As a starter in my senior year, I grew in my basketball IQ.
One thing I love about autism is my obsession and ability to hyperfixate on things. When I was young and felt depressed or anxious, I found solace in examining bugs! When I was outdoors, I didn’t feel like a failure, and that feeling of freedom grew into a love of studying insects. My interests have led to hosting several informational sessions at my high school and an internship with a beekeeper.
It’s important to me to realize how far I’ve come—on my first day of practice freshman year, my coach had to teach me how to dribble! Homeschooling and basketball stretched me and challenged me to go beyond my feelings of failure, but unbelievably, I’d face more struggles ahead.
In February 2022, a doctor diagnosed my mom with breast cancer. My mom has multiple autoimmune diseases, but her cancer had the heaviest impact on our family. Her diagnosis shook my world.
During that hard period, everything felt out of control. Visiting my mom in the hospital multiple times over several years changed my outlook on life. I learned that life continues (even when it feels like everything is going wrong) and that I must keep moving forward!
I realized I couldn’t let my mom’s cancer consume me, or I’d never grow or mature. I learned to value things that may seem simple to others, like my mom making it to my musical performances, a clean house, family nights, vacations, and warm food. I’m thankful for this experience because I learned to persevere and know that I’m capable of many tasks.
My mom inspires me because even while sick, she stayed strong and joyful. She even joked around with me about her cancer. We watched so many comedy and improv skits (even when her stitches hurt when she laughed). She would still hang out with us, even during her worst days. Often, she would lay on the couch in the other room during dinner—even while sick, she wanted to be near her family.
My mom may be in remission, but the damage to her body still affects her, so I continue to help her and my dad. Medical bills continue to pile up, a constant reminder of my mom’s medical challenges and recurring infections. My own autism/anxiety disorder diagnosis intertwines with my two siblings’ own special needs diagnosis, and each thread pulls at the other, but we continue to pull through all the hardships as a family.
I’m excited to change the world using entomology (whether by spreading joy like my mom or through a scientific breakthrough). I want to pursue my passions to give back to the world. My experiences ignited my desire to study ecosystems and develop innovative solutions, such as using insects to decompose plastic or designing robotics inspired by their resilience. It reinforced my determination to contribute meaningfully to the world through science and innovation. I’ve experienced a lot of adversity, so I know I can overcome any challenge on my journey to becoming an entomologist.
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!
