This guest post is by Alex English, a young man on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of 14 and has been accepted into Northern Michigan University. Alex 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 learned many lessons on my journey with autism.
In elementary school, I struggled with a sensory disorder. At this point, I did not know I had autism, but I definitely displayed many of the signs. I could not tolerate some settings or noises. This had a significant effect on me, which led to an overwhelming sensation of panic. To counteract some of the sensory issues, I used noise-canceling headphones. I wore them most of the school day in my classroom. I wore them in the movie theater. I even wore them in the cafeteria. At the time, I felt I stood out from the rest of the crowd because wearing headphones felt awkward. The headphones helped me get used to noises at a lower level. It was here, in my early years, that I realized anything was possible.
In 6th grade, at the start of middle school, I became a band student. It was challenging to get sound out of the instrument and read the notes and rhythms on the music sheets. On my first day, I became very overwhelmed and began to think band class was not for me. I came home that day with an unreasonable amount of stress stirring around in my head. My family was there to help ease my mind, though. They told me that it takes time and practice to get better at something and to not expect to be perfect at what I do at the beginning. So, I set out to get better at playing my instrument. Through the years, I spent time taking lessons and practicing. I significantly increased my ability to read and obtained a notable skill level as a horn player. Playing the French horn, mellophone, and trumpet helped me enjoy many middle school and high school experiences. I played in the jazz band, marching band, pep band, and even the school musical. Without band class, I don’t know who I would be today. When you’re determined to succeed at new things, anything is possible.
Another significant challenge I had was working on getting my driver’s license. With my diagnosis of autism, which came in the summer before high school, the neuropsychologist said I may not be able to drive. I removed those words from my head and persisted in my own endeavor to work towards achieving my driver’s license. Taking my first written test was not easy because some terminology did not click inside my brain. Unfortunately, I did not pass the first class, but I did not give up. I retook the same course, and I studied even harder. I worked on taking online practice tests and reviewing questions with my parents. This time I ended up passing; it was a memorable moment that taught me to never give up. It doesn’t matter what other people have told you; anything is possible.
At the beginning of high school, I also began marching band. This was a very fast-paced activity and required immense focus. It was very difficult for me during my freshman year because I was constantly told where to go and what to do better. It was a lot for my mind to juggle. After rehearsals, I spent time running through specific movements so my mind could have a chance to gather all the information I needed to remember. However, this process became significantly better as time went on because I knew what to expect. By my junior year, I wanted to become a section leader for our group; this did not happen. In my senior year, I interviewed again and was selected as a section leader. I was a great influence and guide to my group and the band. Even people with disabilities can be leaders; anything is possible.
A lot of my development happened while playing hockey. I started learning to skate when I was six years old. Until about age ten, my dad was always there, leading me to the right locker room and helping me to put on my equipment. I relied on him to help me transition from the car to the locker room to the ice. As time went on, I knew I needed to learn how to accomplish those tasks by myself. The other kids were starting to do this independently, but I was incredibly nervous about asking a coach for help, so I had my dad still come with me. Eventually, I knew I had to squash my fear, so my dad would drop me off, and I would get myself ready to go out on the ice on time with the team. It seems minor now, but back then, it felt like a big step to take. Those little steps led me to where I am now. Now, I can drive myself to practice and work without my parents. I am proof that some with autism can overcome fear, play sports, get a job, and be independent. Yes, anything is possible.
As far as my schooling goes, it was not easy, but with the help of my parents and teachers, I found ways to succeed. I had significant issues due to my dyslexia and my reading, spelling, and math challenges. These struggles were increased by my autism. I struggled with high anxiety. Because of these challenges, I had added support from an individualized education plan (IEP). I began using tools such as dictation to help speed up writing papers, improve the spelling of words, and help me quickly get my thoughts down. If I do not use this process, I cannot write well. As you can see, even with additional challenges and autism, anything is possible.
My advice to any person who has autism or any parent of a child with autism would be to not let the challenges in life stop you from achieving your right to living your best life and achieving happiness. As you can see, for some living with autism, anything is possible.
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.
