This guest post is by Max Goodridge, a young man who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8 and attends the University of North Florida. Max is applying for the Spring 2023 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.
Growing up on the Autism Spectrum has had its ups, downs, and in-betweens. I will do my best to explain it with my mom helping me put this all into words on paper. Part of my struggle is putting my thoughts and explanations on paper; I’m better at just saying them. So, here it goes.
I do not know any other way of growing up than being me. So, I cannot know what it is like to be someone who does not have Autism. From early ages, I remember being very startled by crowded places and loud noises. It took time for me to get used to places like that. Feeling like I didn’t fit in with other kids was like most of the time. Certain kids bullied and picked on me. But, that all changed in 5th grade, when my parents found this amazing private school that had all kids similar to me. This changed my life! I felt great, made friends, had awesome teachers who understood how I learned and that I needed time to process information and to have the right accommodations. We did loads of hands on activities to help us learn.
I think part of my Autism has made me super sensitive to others’ (especially animals) and extremely creative. When I did years of horse back riding, I had a real connection to the horses. And, I still feel this way around animals. I’m really good at making up stories and scenarios in my head which I find very cool. My connection to music goes deep; and as a result; I’m a really good drummer. Playing in my band and getting lessons every week is a real passion of mine. My mom got me into this back around age 12. I’m so glad she did, because it is one the things I am very proud of. I also think having Autism has benefitted me in this musical way.
What other people need to understand is that Autism is a spectrum, and no two of us are exactly alike. Some of us have more needs than others and are sensitive to different things. However, the way in which we are all alike is that we do want relationships, to be loved, and have a meaningful life. We want the same things as anyone else. We need people to be patient with us in our learning process and not underestimate what we can do. I may need a little more time to process something or master a new skill, but I can eventually do it. Sometimes, the way I master it is maybe not the ideal way. However, if it works for me, then that should be enough. My parents have helped me realize that I do need to be pushed a little in order to grow. However, gentle pushing is best, so I do not get overwhelmed. For people like me who have Autism, having great support systems around us is super important. But as my mom tells me “Life is not a race”. Everyone has their own timeline and I’m on mine. Simply being ME.
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.
