This guest post is by Dawson Neff, a young man on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with autism at 5 and accepted into the University of Southern Indiana. Dawson 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.
I hope you can support my nonprofit like I’m trying to support these students with scholarship aid for college. Learn more on how you can help our cause with a small donation (just asking for $3 today, equal to your daily cup of coffee) here.
Darwin Kingsley once said, “You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do, except the limitations of your own mind.” I have found these words to be true. When I was only about three years old, my parents were informed that I had a developmental delay along with a communication disorder. A few months later I was tested and placed on the autism spectrum. By the time I was five, I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified). Growing up on the autism spectrum isn’t easy. For as long as I can remember, I have had difficulty socializing with people my age. I find it difficult at times to understand their innuendoes and jokes. It has always made me feel uncomfortable. So, I’m quiet or as some might say, a bit anti-social. In my sophomore year of high school though, I took a choir class, and it changed my life. The choir has helped me to overcome multiple aspects of my disability and achieve more than I ever thought possible. The choir has inspired me and helped me gain confidence, helped me realize that I can relate to my peers, and has given me another avenue to relax.
The choir has inspired me and helped me to gain confidence. With the encouragement of my choir teacher, Mrs. Burns, and my classmates, I have tapped into a talent that I hadn’t realized I had. I knew I had always enjoyed singing but never knew I was any good. Mrs. Burn’s constant praise and inspiration woke something up inside me that I hadn’t even known was asleep. Through her guidance, I even tried out and got a solo. It was something I had never imagined I would be able to do, but I did! I believe that the confidence I gained in choir will help me indefinitely.
It’s strange to think that one class can change your whole perspective on something. The choir has helped me to realize that I can relate to my peers. When we sing, we are a team. Everything else seems to melt into the background. When we are done singing, our similar interest ties us together. I feel as if I belong. This knowledge is important to me, as my college life is quickly approaching, and I know that a new social entity is on my horizon.
Singing, I found, has also given me another avenue to relax. I have always taken as many higher-level classes as I could. Most days are very stressful. When I get to the choir and start to sing, all my anxiety and stress seem to disappear. I feel choir has helped me to better prepare for life and its many intense environments, by giving me another way to destress.
The choir has inspired me more than I can say. I’ve gained confidence, the realization that I can relate to my peers, and that singing can be a relaxing outlet for stressful situations. I recently realized that I was being limited by my own mind. I am so appreciative of Mrs. Burns and my Choir/ Ambassadors class. I now know I have no limits. I can do whatever I want to do, no diagnosis will hold me back. My hope is that one day everyone will find something that inspires them, as much as the choir has inspired me to live my best life.
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 that started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a 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.
