This guest post is by Jordan Hernandez, a young woman with autism who attends the College of Southern Nevada. Jordan 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.
My name is Jordan Hernandez, I am a 17-year-old female high school senior at the Doral Academy High School in Las Vegas Nevada, and I have autism. A lot of people at school see me as a weird kid because I have autism. I’m shy and introverted, and I don’t pick up on social cues very easily. I have an IEP which singles me out many times because I need some accommodations for things like testing. Large crowds and noises give me anxiety. Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder that affects me in different ways from most people.
I was diagnosed at a young age. But I am considered high functioning. I am verbal, I can communicate clearly if I get my ideas and thoughts in order, I go to a normal high school and take normal classes. I do well in school and get good grades and have a high GPA, but I do have to overcome many obstacles that a normal person doesn’t.
One of the most challenging things I must deal with at school is how loud my classrooms are with other students. I am hypersensitive to loud sounds. It hurts my concentration and I have to use sensory tools like noise-canceling headphones to drown out the noise or take my tests in quieter rooms. This helps me to concentrate on the school tasks that help me to achieve. The hardest thing I had to deal with was taking the acts. That was not a fun time for me. I had to go to a weekend prep course for 6 hours, the other kids were loud and rowdy, and the teachers didn’t seem like they cared to control them. It was upsetting to me. I just wanted to take the test and get out of there. I didn’t do as well as I probably should have and got average scores. My social anxiety is the hardest thing I have had to overcome in everyday life. Crowds and noises present difficulty for my form of autism.
My dad is the opposite. He loves going to concerts, and sporting events. To me, that would be pure torture. I know he would love to take me to some of these events because he enjoys them so much and I want to, but I know I wouldn’t have a good time doing that. My social anxiety would not make it a fun experience. I do like going to the movies, that is one of the things I have learned to adapt to and enjoy even with the crowds and noise. Especially animated movies. I like art. I like to draw. I can create things on my computer. My favorite class in school is digital gaming and I have done some cool things in that class. I would like to go to college and do something in the digital game field. The thought of college does scare me though.
Social interaction is one of the biggest obstacles faced by many people with autism. We struggle with communication. Many people aren’t patient with us and not understanding social cues makes it difficult for us to form friendships and build social connections. It can be overwhelming and distressing. My parents had me go to a 1-day camp for people my age with autism last summer. I found it difficult to connect with other kids even though many of them also had autism. Most of my friends I have been online in the gaming rooms that I join. It’s easier for me to connect with someone online than in person. But I have made some good friends and connections there as well. One of my online friends and I have a good bond and we are planning to hopefully meet in person someday. She is also a high school senior. I know I can make friends; it just takes a little more time and understanding for me to learn things about people.
I have autism, which makes me slightly different than most people. I am unique and face certain challenges. But I have a great family that fully supports me and understands my needs to help me navigate these challenges. I want to live a somewhat normal life in this world. It takes a little more effort and works for me to do so. It is challenging most days, but I am also happy with who I am.
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.
