This guest post is by Connor Trang, a young man who was diagnosed with autism at 14 years old and plans to attend Florida International University. Connor 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.
What is normal? The standards of someone “normal” are often specific and precise and usually follow an idea that is subjective. As someone who was born different, I have questioned if I am “normal”. From my disability and stature to my sexual orientation and my diverse ethnic background, I am different and unique. My ASD, better known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, has made me face significant daily challenges to conform with this confusing world around me. However, I have worked hard to develop strategies to be successful as a neurodiverse person. I strive to be my own individual and authentic self.
My parents, who come from two very diverse cultures, have taught me to embrace my unique qualities and use them to my advantage. From my Vietnamese family, I have learned that hard work, perseverance and self discipline are traits to use when faced with difficult moments. From my Dominican family, I have learned that family, happiness and humor will help in the face of any stumbling block. I am a blend of firm discipline from both parents and of unconditional love, acceptance and support for helping me to reach my full potential no matter the obstacles. I feel truly blessed.
There are many social situations that are difficult for a person with ASD. Personally, I have struggled when faced with large noisy situations; however, being part of a large family has forced me to adapt. At one of my Dominican cousin’s wedding, I introduced myself to fellow guests, from family to strangers, through a warm hug or firm handshake depending on the person, even though it can be uncomfortable. I have learned to work towards creating a good first impression even if it is out of my comfort zone. I want to be seen as the kind and caring person that I am internally, even though expressing it externally can be very difficult. My mind sees the world in black and white, but my heart feels it in vivid color. I love when I am able to express myself – at this wedding, I wore a bright pink suit – and I enjoyed the warmth, acceptance and joy I felt around me. On the other hand, at my Vietnamese cousin’s wedding, I was asked to wear a more neutral gray suit, which I did, but I still showed my style with a vintage tie and brooch. At that wedding, instead of hugging or shaking hands, I bowed to other family members as a form of respect. I take such great pride in seeing myself continue to evolve and to learn to be more flexible while embracing the vibrance of my beautiful cultures.
As someone with ASD, applying to college has been a significant milestone for me. As I reflect on past years, I am proud of how far I have come. In my youth I could not even form a complete sentence and now I am writing my own college essay. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Kerry Margo, an award-winning autistic professional speaker and best-selling author, is “Autism can’t define me, I define autism.” This is such an inspiration for me as this gives me the authority to personally define my diagnosis and not limit myself by inaccurate assumptions. As I now become a young adult, being neurodiverse is just one part of who I am, and it cannot stop me from reaching my goals in life both interpersonally and professionally.
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.
