This guest post is by Levi Black, a young man who attends Queen’s University. He is an advocate for the Spring 2025 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 the Next Chapter: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams was released on Amazon on 3/25/25 and looks at the lives over 75 Autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book will go back to supporting our nonprofits many initiatives, like this scholarship program. Check out the book here.
When I was seven, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. I had no idea what that meant at the time — only that I was different. I couldn’t verbalize how I was different, so instead of expressing sorrow or frustration, I tended to lash out in anger. Friendship was not a natural fit, and trying to follow the unspoken rules of conversation was like deciphering a secret code in which everyone else had the decoder ring.
My parents put me in a social thinking program after my diagnosis. That was the first significant change in my life. The social thinking program taught me something most people don’t even appreciate — how to initiate a conversation and keep it up, read body cues, know when I was at the breaking point, and how to deal with it. Slowly, I began building the tools to manage my feelings, which I carried with me for the rest of my life. Ultimately, when I graduated from that program, it wasn’t because I was “cured” — autism isn’t something one can be cured of — but because I had learned to use my brain rather than fight it.
During that time, I also discovered dance. What began as a pastime grew into a profound connection to the world unlike anything I had experienced before. It took no words or deciphering of complex social cues on stage. It let me move. It allowed me to be myself entirely and unhindered. For the first time, I genuinely believed that I fit in.
Dance became a language in which I spoke fluently. Dance routine discipline, repetition, and structure offered a reassuring sense of order. But, in that order, I also found freedom — freedom to feel, express, and connect. I began taking workshops with master choreographers, taking every chance to expand as a dancer and a human being. I started working as a mentor to younger students at my studio, sharing techniques, stories, fears, and lessons learned. That role eventually transitioned into a leadership role that surprised even myself — one where I led others with compassion, empathy, and patience that I had built up through navigating a not-always-neurodivergent-
One of my greatest moments of transformation was performing the lead in our studio’s production of The Nutcracker last year. Center stage, the lights blinding and the crowd waiting, a rush of feelings hit me — excitement, pride, and amazement. This was the result of more than 7,000 hours of hard work and grit. More importantly, it was evidence that being autistic by no means held me back; it provided a different set of eyes through which I viewed the world, and through those eyes, I created beauty.
Offstage, I kept challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone. Last summer, I even applied to work at a marina, where I served ice cream and engaged with customers all day. It was a giant step up for someone who had previously struggled to copy social interaction at its simplest levels. And yet, it worked out wonderfully. I learned to read tone, accommodate customer requests, and handle high-speed interactions. For the first time, I did not feel defined by my autism. I was comfortable, competent, and on the same footing.
My path was not easy, but it was filled with purposeful milestones. One of the moments I’m most proud of is when I organized a ballet shoe donation drive at my studio. I gathered, cleaned, and redistributed gently worn shoes to dancers in Canada who couldn’t afford them. It was a way of levelling the playing field — and a testament to how far I had come. The organization and leadership skills it called on were something that previously came hard to me, but which I had come to appreciate fully. It wasn’t about the shoes, but about inclusion, empathy, and creating a space where others could shine, regardless of circumstances.
Autism isn’t a restriction—it’s a new way of being in the world. It’s true that it’s not always easy, but it also brings an entirely new set of strengths. I’m highly driven, passionate, and always trying to improve. In dance, work, or service, I have learned to use my experiences as fuel to accomplish my goals and bring others along with me.
I want to continue this journey at Queen’s University, utilizing the knowledge gained and sharing it with every community I join. I will look to work on collaborative projects, such as the Formula SAE team, and join inclusive initiatives, assisting others, including those who don’t feel like they fit in, as I understand how it feels to be in that position myself. I also know how it feels to experience growth, flourish, and discover your rhythm in a world that doesn’t always play to your tune.
To whoever is reading this and is on the autism spectrum, please know that your tale is essential. Your voice counts. It may require effort to be heard, but your opinion is necessary in every classroom, every studio, and every stage. I have realized that difference is not a weakness but a gift. And the world desperately needs more of the gift that you bring.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help us continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Also, consider having Kerry, one of the only professionally accredited speakers on the spectrum in the country, speak at your next event by sending him an inquiry here. If you have a referral for someone who many want him to speak please reach out as well! Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, parent groups and other special events on topics ranging from employment, how to succeed in college with a learning disability, internal communication, living with autism, bullying prevention, social media best practices, innovation, presentation best practices and much more!
