This guest post is by Jonah Sarrell, a recent high school graduate who plans to attend Golden West College and is passionate about becoming a game developer. Jonah is applying for the Spring 2026 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship through KFM Making a Difference, the nonprofit founded by Kerry Magro. Kerry was nonspeaking until age 2.5 and was diagnosed with autism at 4.
Autistics on Autism: The Next Chapter shares stories from more than 100 autistic adults about what helped them while growing up and pursuing their dreams. All proceeds support KFM Making a Difference initiatives, including this scholarship program. To invite Kerry to speak at your school, company, or organization, submit an inquiry here.
By Jonah Sarrell
Hello, my name is Jonah Sarrell. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental difference that can affect people in many ways, including focused interests, social communication differences, and repetitive behaviors. Growing up autistic can be difficult; it has affected how I function socially and cognitively. Throughout my life, especially in my early years, I showed signs of this by not getting along with peers and struggling to maintain expected classroom behavior. Whenever I wanted something my way, I’d fixate on it. But as I grew older, I became more flexible. My skills in understanding how people feel, acting appropriately in class, and regulating my emotions improved as I went through high school.
Early in life, I had trouble understanding other people’s perspectives. I didn’t understand their actions, and I couldn’t understand why they didn’t want me to do certain things. As I progressed through high school, I still struggled, but I became better at understanding. There were situations where I couldn’t just rely on people to tell me if I was making them uncomfortable; I had to understand their body language and social cues. I once made a friend uncomfortable because I acted too clingy and pushed them away a little. Luckily, we talked and worked it out. I thought to myself, “Why couldn’t they just tell me?” But they were telling me; I just needed to look harder. Autism doesn’t make it impossible for someone to connect socially—the process can simply be more difficult. Everyone faces challenges, and if the challenge of understanding other perspectives comes with the reward of friendship and companionship, it’s a challenge I’d pursue no matter what.
I love engaging in my classes, asking questions, volunteering, and striving for excellence during every assessment. My teachers love it when I engage in their lessons, especially when the rest of the class gives them crickets after they ask a question. But it can be hard for me to know when not to engage. I tend to look for any pause in a lecture so I can say what I want to say. This usually ends with me being cut off when I try to speak. It’s frustrating when this happens, but it relates to what I mentioned earlier: I have to remind myself of the other person’s point of view. When teaching or participating in any conversation, it’s frustrating to be interrupted. In this case, the teachers were the ones who were supposed to be talking. Now I know how to catch myself and remember that whatever I need to say can wait until the teacher finishes speaking and invites questions. I really appreciate how understanding and patient my teachers were. Repetitive behaviors and communication differences are common autistic experiences, but everyone experiences them differently. I have learned strategies that give me more control over when and how I contribute in class.
My biggest struggle with ASD has been regulating my emotions. Before high school, my emotions were the main reason I got in trouble. I would yell or act in unexpected ways, and it was a constant internal struggle. I had to learn how to recognize when my emotions were escalating so I could remove myself from a situation before it caused problems. I also developed good coping mechanisms for moments when my emotions feel erratic. I love music, and whenever I’m stressed, upset, or angry, listening to music calms me down. It also helps to talk with someone, whether that person is a teacher, counselor, or friend. One day, a student was bullying me, and I started to break down. To avoid making the situation worse, I ran to a teacher, who helped me calm down. It’s very easy to submit to your emotions, and learning to regulate them takes a lot of effort. But it’s completely okay to ask for help when you need it. That’s what I had to learn to reach the point I’m at today.
What I want people to take away from this is that ASD can be a struggle for anyone who has it. But just because we are told what will be difficult for us—or even that some things will be impossible—doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make those challenges easier. I once thought that being autistic would prevent me from becoming what I wanted to be, but it didn’t. I looked to other people and worked to understand how my actions could affect them. Instead of ignoring my autism, I accepted it and learned strategies for the challenges I face. Now I believe that autism cannot define all of who you are; only you can choose how you are defined.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also autistic, founded KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help autistic students receive scholarship support for post-secondary education. Help us continue this work by making a tax-deductible donation here.
You can also invite Kerry to speak at your next event by submitting an inquiry here. Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofits, parent groups, and conferences on autism, employment, college success, mental health, inclusion, and bullying prevention.
