This guest post is by Thomas Ankner, a young man on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with autism at 9 years old and has been accepted into Texas A&M. Thomas 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.
When most people think of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), they do not think of competitive athletes. I am a Varsity wide receiver, and kick and punt returner for Rock Canyon High School who also maintains a 4.0/4.0 GPA, taking all Advanced Placement and Honors courses. I have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While many view ASD as a disability, I focus on using the gifts that others may see as a challenge to help me succeed in the areas I find interesting. I do not let ASD define me. I use ASD traits to help me be the best person I can be in areas that are motivating to me.
Finding football was key for me. Attending an all Highly Gifted and Talented elementary school, I often found myself in physical confrontations with other students. I was one of the kids that disrupted Kindergarten so was pulled out of class for a special social skills group. I had Sensory Integration Occupational Therapy for several years and finally was diagnosed with ASD when I was eight years old. Applied Behavioral Analysis was helpful as was speech therapy in my early years but I did not fully begin to succeed until I discovered sports, particularly football.
I believe there must be more people with ASD who excel at competitive athletics; they are either undiagnosed or chose not to go public. Sports require extreme focus, hard work, honesty, structure, routine, repetition, and a willingness to forgo typical social relations. Positions like wide receiver, goalie, and cacher, all of which I played, require intense technical knowledge. These are traits often associated with ASD and ones that I have embraced as I worked on being one of Colorado’s top football players.
My extreme focus allows me to spend countless hours preparing for each game, watching game films to study the opponent, running routes after practice, or going through the playbook over and over again to ensure I never miss an assignment. I work hard to be the best I can be. Coaches praise me because I listen to them, incorporate their feedback, and do my best each and every time. I work on my routes incessantly until they are perfect.
Coaches know every time I hit the field, I leave it all out there. Early in my Freshman year, I was already being compared to Wes Welker with my 5 feet 9 inches and 170 pounds muscular build, skilled route running, quick moves, and soft hands. I am just as committed to and determined with my studies as I am on the field.
My lack of interest in typical social interactions allows me extra time on the field and in the books but it does have its drawbacks. I have a hard time making small talk with people in certain situations so I do not. This leaves me with fewer distractions and more time to focus on my interests which I consider positive.
Don’t get me wrong, I have friends, a girlfriend, and a great sense of humor. I have no issue with opening up to people I feel I have a connection. However, it is hard talking to strangers and hence, promoting myself. This is a challenge faced in pursuing college football and academic scholarships. College coaches expect players to self-promote via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, e-mail, phone calls, and interviews. I would rather work on my skills and game and have faith that others will see my achievements but I am learning that this is not how college recruiting works. I even had difficulty getting myself to write this article and other academic scholarship essays. Luckily, I have coaches, friends, and family that are teaching me why this is necessary and how to do it. I have to trust their judgment, make small tasks to accomplish, and remind myself of my ultimate goal, funding at a top-notch academic university.
I can be cocky and self-interested at times which may sound socially unacceptable to some but on the football field, it comes in handy. First, if you do not believe in yourself, you will not even get on the field. Second, once on the field, if you do not exhibit confidence, you will have trouble succeeding and your team will not be able to rely on you.
My advice to others with ASD is to find what inspires you. Find that interest where you feel comfortable diving into what is really motivating and use your skills to excel. My advice to the world is to give people with ASD a chance. We can be focused, hard-working, and honest. Take the risk, accept us to universities, on teams, and into the workforce. We come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities, you might be surprised.
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.
