Autism Speaks Official Blog

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a recent graduate of Seton Hall University. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

Quite recently I took the liberty of making a list of some of the things I have learned about autism through reflection. I then narrowed it down to 10 of my quotes that I feel best express  my understanding of the subject. They are as follows:

1. Autism can’t define me, only I can define autism.
2. Give advice to others in the autistic community through your own experiences.
3. If someone calls you “awkward,” just know that it means you’re “unique” and a lot better than “ordinary”.
4. I’m great at several things and broken in none.
5. Ignorance is all around us but awareness is around the corner if we want it to be.
6. Feeling sorry for myself will get me nowhere.
7. We need to stop labeling and instead integrate, “people with people” in our communities who have different needs.
8. Inclusion in schools will never mean I’m secluded from an education.
9. Autism is not a disease, rather a disability that every day I strive to become an A-bility.
10. Communication never takes a vacation.

As someone diagnosed with Autism at a very early age, I know the, “conversation” doesn’t end here. What are your thoughts on this list? Feel free to comment below!

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a recent graduate of Seton Hall University. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

Almost a month ago I had the opportunity to speak at an Autism Awareness Event co-sponsored by the Mayor of Jersey City, Jeremiah Healy, the Jersey City Council and the Jersey City Public Schools.  I was honored as the keynote speaker of the event to talk about my experience with autism. I also received a proclamation from Jersey City, which is the second largest city in New Jersey and my hometown for my work on the subject.

While this was a wonderful honor, the best part of the event was the relationships I made with the parents who approached me afterwards. At the end of the day, this is the reason why I speak. To network but also to help consult for individuals with loved ones on the spectrum. In our community, we can only go as far as we are willing to help one another. There’s so much we have learned on the subject but there’s still a long way to go. Communication between all parties can never be excluded from the conversation. As I said in my speech that day, “Early Intervention is the Key,” however, communication is a close second.

Below you can find the video of my speech at that event. In it I share “My Voice” on the subject of autism and what it truly means to me. Feel free to comment below.

This is one of my Autism Speaks U related blog posts. If you would like to contact me directly about questions/comments related to this post I can be reached at kerry.magro@autismspeaks.org.

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a recent graduate of Seton Hall University. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

Yesterday was my graduation from Seton Hall University. As this has been one of the most emotional and happiest days of my life I have taken some time to reflect on my journey and get my thoughts down on paper. Many people told me that my road towards a good education was going to be rough. The word “impossible” was a word that I learned very early on in regards to people’s opinions about whether or not I could get to college let alone graduate from college. Now I just have to say…

Kerry at graduation wearing the Autism Speaks pin, along with the 15 honor chords he collected at college.

To the physician who told me when I was 6 that I would be lucky to get to high school, this one’s for you.

For the Special Education teachers who would look down at me like I was broken, this one’s for you.

For the years of being taunted and bullied by kids, saying I can’t and wouldn’t achieve greatness, this one’s for you.

For the people who helped me through physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy till I was 14, this one’s for you.

For my parents, friends and relatives, who see me as an individual first who is/was never broken, this one’s for you.

For those teachers who said I could do it, this one’s for you.

For the countless other individuals out there who are autistic or love someone who is autistic, this one’s for you.

For the people who say you can’t do something even though you can this one’s for you.

For the people at Autism Speaks who have given me the chance to express my “voice” and help others through the Autism Speaks Blog for over a year now, this one’s for you.

At the end of the day our influences in our lives send us on our path, either good or bad. When I was 4 I was diagnosed on the spectrum. Now 18 years later I’m a college graduate who will be going to graduate school for a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership. For all those people, again, the good and the bad, thank you. You’ve made me who I am today and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

…This one’s for you.

*On a side note, I wanted to add that I will be starting a scholarship program for individuals on the spectrum who are pursuing a post secondary program later this year. As a student, I know there is a lack of scholarship funding in this area and know even the smallest amount helps. Thanks for reading and remember to keep pushing everyday! We can all make a difference!*

This is one of my Autism Speaks U related blog posts. If you would like to contact me directly about questions/comments related to this post I can be reached at kerry.magro@autismspeaks.org.

This blog post is written by is Christine Bakter, a parent who’s son is on the autism spectrum and participates in Rutgers University’s BrosUniteD (BUD) program. Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, in collaboration with Autism Speaks, developed BrosUniteD to provide teenage boys with autism an opportunity to be mentored by college students and to give them the opportunity to experience positive relationships and the bonds on brotherhood.

When I became involved with Autism Speaks, my purpose was to improve the future for my son Alex, who has autism.  Through my involvement, I quickly learned that the autism community contains some of the most passionate, determined and hopeful visionaries on Earth.   The majority of our community is comprised of the people you would expect:  people with autism and their families, friends, teachers, and therapists.  We are autism’s conscripts – drafted advocates who understand the day to day challenges that our loved ones with autism face and the urgency of the message we carry.

I hold a special place in my heart for the unexpected members of our community that cross my path – the people who hear our message and support us without a personal stake in the outcome.  We see throngs of these people on Walk Day, raising funds for desperately needed research, family services and advocacy.

I recently found a whole college fraternity full of such unexpected members in the BrosUniteD (BUD) program, founded by Matt Cortland of the Rutgers University chapter of Theta Delta Chi.  Not content to only raise money for the Central New Jersey Walk, Matt and his frat brothers took their commitment to a higher level.  For seven weeks this past winter, the brothers gave their free time to serve as mentors – they refer to themselves as Big Bros – to several teenage boys with autism, including my son.   Alex has overcome many of the communication challenges associated with autism but remains socially awkward.  He craves social connection, but his approach can be confusing to his peers who don’t understand his disability.  For this reason, BrosUniteD seemed like it could be beneficial because it would give him a safe and accepting environment to build those connections.

I witnessed tremendous growth in Alex as the program progressed.  Usually content to pass hours in front of his computer by himself, I was barraged with constant questioning about the next BrosUniteD activity.  Alex had never been so eager to participate in any program I had arranged for him; he couldn’t stop talking about it at school.  I also didn’t expect the manner in which Alex suddenly wanted to emulate his Big Bros.  Never caring about the clothes I selected for him, he was suddenly asking for specific items: skinny jeans and track pants and a Rutgers sweatshirt, “like the fraternity guys wear.”  It may seem like such a small thing to marvel over – I realize that most parents worry that their teenager will go along with the crowd too easily, but as the parent of a teenager with autism, the fact that Alex was concerned with something so “typical” was cause for celebration!

I wasn’t the only parent witnessing such positive changes – my observations were echoed by other parents, some of whom had sons with more severe forms of autism.  We agreed that our sons were just happy to be in the company of their Big Bros.  It was proof positive to me that young men with autism are not so different from their typically developing counterparts.  They want to be “regular guys” doing “regular guy stuff.”  A program like BrosUniteD serves as a structured bridge connecting both groups of guys.  All of the guys – with autism and without- seemed to benefit from the connections that were made through the BUD program, as evidenced by the willingness of graduating Big Bros to stay in touch with their Little Bros, or attend events with their Little Bros outside of the program.

I remarked to one parent at the program’s conclusion:  “Do you think these college kids have any idea how important this program is?  How could they possibly understand, not being parents themselves?”

I can say with certainty that someone else understood the importance of the work being done by Theta Delta Chi.  On April 21, we gathered at Rutgers once again for a very special BrosUniteD activity.  Mrs. Mary Pat Christie, the First Lady of New Jersey, was present to honor Matt Cortland and his co-coordinator, Alex Lewis, with the New Jersey Hero Award for the outstanding work being done on behalf of young men with autism through the BrosUniteD program.  The New Jersey Hero award is designed to showcase the everyday contributions of New Jersey citizens that make our state a better place.

Thank you Matt, Alex and all of the “Big Bros” at Theta Delta Chi – the First Lady confirmed what the parents of the program participants already knew – you are heroes to our sons in every sense of the word.

To access the article about Rutgers Students Recognized as New Jersey Heroes by First Lady Mary Pat Christie, click here.

If you’re a college student that would like to get involved and/or start a buddy/mentoring program for kids affected by autism, visit the Autism Speaks U website for information. 

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This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a rising senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Sports Management. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

In the past, I’ve blogged about my own experiences and then tips to overall help individuals on the spectrum. For this post, however, I am looking for your thoughts and tips on a subject that I’m not sure there is a clear cut answer to.

Here’s the scenario: quite recently, I was with a group of friends hanging out when a mutual friend who was under the influence of alcohol started to become belligerent. He was clearly upset about something and decided to storm off. After several of our friends were trying to calm him down and make him come back to the group he called me out for being autistic in a negative connotation; like being autistic is a bad thing. He said, “Shut up Kerry, You’re autistic!” For some reason this remark just bounced off me, but after that experience I haven’t forgiven this individual or shared the story of what happened with anyone else.

It’s difficult sometimes to understand why people can be so mean. A few weeks before that situation, I was on my way to an event with a peer when I called, “shotgun” so I could sit in the front side passenger seat. My peer replied, “Sure, Kerry has that DSS hook-up right there.” In context DSS means Disability Support Services at the college I attend and this was in reference to getting accommodations for being registered as a DSS student. So I guess the question I have for those reading is…

“When did you first feel comfortable addressing comments either positive or negative people make about you or a loved one on the spectrum?”

I know this may seem like a very broad question but in my experience as an individual on the spectrum I’ve always had a tough time communicating the issue to others, especially when I was younger. Now at the age of 23 I have spoken at several events about the issue and can go up to anyone and speak my piece in a non-threatening way to make those aware of what’s right from wrong. The first time I can remember ever speaking up for myself was when I was 13. One of my classmates and I were having a conversation about disabilities and I mentioned that I was autistic. Almost instantly he said, “No you’re not, you can talk!”  I came back and said, “It’s different for different individuals” and then went for the rest of the class period almost discussing things such as high functioning/low functioning autism, the signs, the causes, etc.

At the end of the day, I know that I’ll fight in most scenarios to make individuals aware not only for myself but so other individuals don’t have to deal with similar cases. As a community here at Autism Speaks, I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Please leave your comments below. Thank you.

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a rising senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Sports Management. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

Ever since I was aware that I was on the spectrum I’ve always had difficulty over hearing people use certain words in their every day conversations.  I’m bringing this up, since I have recently been in a situation where one of my peers used the word “autism” in a derogatory fashion about one of my friends who was not on the spectrum. As someone who has been advocating for those on the spectrum for several years now I have always tried to pick my battles wisely. Sometimes though it’s not that simple; you have to say enough is enough and take a stand on something, no matter the costs.

My friend said during this conversation, “Why is she not speaking tonight, it’s like she has autism or something.” As soon as this was said, I was angry. Angry that someone would use autism in that context and also how someone would use the word knowing that I was on the spectrum. This was not the first time I had heard the word autism being used like this, but I knew this was the last time I wanted to hear it. Instead of getting angry and verbally lashing out, I am taking the time to educate people about the hurtfulness some words can have on certain individuals.

With this I had an idea. Over a year ago I took a pledge to stop using the word “retarded” via the Spread the Word to End The Word Campaign through the website r-word.org. With permission, our Autism Speaks U Chapter at Seton Hall will also be doing a similar project in relation to World Autism Awareness Day on April 2^nd. Today however I would like to make a pledge via the Autism Speaks Blog in regards to autism. With this, I am also making a pledge to put myself out there to say what is on my mind more and to be more open to people in general. Over the past couple of years I have learned that there is a tremendous opportunity for myself to do some good for many families and individuals on the spectrum.

I encourage others to make a pledge, regardless if you are on the spectrum or not because the bottom line is you can make a difference and it all starts off with awareness. Here’s my pledge:

I, Kerry Magro, make the pledge to not use the word autism in a derogatory fashion due to the harmful effects it has on certain individuals. I will also make my voice heard and educate others who want to learn and/or are unaware about autism. As an individual on the spectrum, I hereby take it as my duty to stand up and protect my fellow brothers and sisters in the autistic community as we progress forward within our disability movement. “Nothing About Us Without Us.”- James Charlton

(Would you be willing to make a pledge? Feel free to post your own pledges in the comment section below. Thank You.)

This is one of my Autism Speaks U related blog posts. If you would like to contact me directly about questions/comments related to this post I can be reached at kerry.magro@autismspeaks.org.

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a rising senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Sports Management. He started the club Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

Over the past months, I’ve received emails from parents asking for advice in regards to schooling for their son/daughter who is on the spectrum. In this blog, I discuss a situation I dealt with in 4^th grade. I would like to note that this occurrence happened years ago when autism was still very new to most public education programs. I consider it a precursor to the discussions today on bullying. It would be great if you would like to comment with your own experiences in school if you have a loved one on the spectrum in the comment section below.

I wasn’t sure how it ended up happening the way it did, it just did.

I was in 4^th grade in a Special Ed – Multi-handicapped classroom with kids ranging from the age of 6 to 14.

I was in the middle of recess when a kid in my class started screaming in my right ear.

I started to panic. The noise made me feel uneasy.

I told him to stop. I started to get angry. He stopped.

I looked at the substitute teacher in class who was staring back at me looking more scared at the moment than I was. She was still; emotionless.

I turned in my chair, away from the boy, and watched while my other classmates were hanging out around me.

At this time I tried to focus. I had a hard time getting my thoughts together on what I should do. A scream is directed towards me again. Same guy, but the left ear this time. That is when I lost control.

I stood up and grabbed the chair I was sitting in and pulled it over my head. Now I was the one doing the screaming towards him. The boy’s scream stopped while he looked terrified.

I pushed the chair towards him until he suddenly grabbed it in mid air. I was now pushing the chair towards him while at the same time he was pushing it towards me. The boy was about 5-6 inches taller than I was and maybe 2 or 3 years older. My grip was loosening every second of this back and forth and he was clearly the stronger of the two.

The substitute teacher at about this time started yelling at both of us to stop. I dropped my grip and put my hands up to my ears while the boy got a free love tap with the chair to my right shoulder until he lost his grip and the chair went flying towards the ground.

I remember the substitute teacher specifically tried at a lighter tone, “You are lucky your real teacher isn’t here or you both would be suspended.”

I lost it at this time and went to the back of the classroom to get away, sobbing. The substitute teacher didn’t say another word about the incident for the rest of the period.

I was pretty quiet for the rest of the day until one of my best friends came up to me later that day and said, “I heard what happened. The word is that someone told him you don’t like noise. That’s why he started screaming. He wanted to see what would happen; if he could use it against you.” I rolled my eyes and that’s pretty much all I remember from that day…

After repeated incidents, my parents pulled me out of public school and tried to place me at a private school out of our district, under the “Universal Placement of Students” clause.  It was a small, expensive private school for students with neurological impairments. They had to sue our school district to help with funding. This is a process I’m sure many parents with kids on the spectrum have experienced. They also drove me back and forth 50 miles round trip for the next 8 years until I finished high school.

In that private school setting there were only 160 kids. We all had some letters to describe us and the atmosphere was much better. Also everyone on staff was trained to deal with students with some sort of special need.

Looking back now, as a 6’2’’ soon to be college graduate, regardless if the kid knew that I was on the spectrum or not, it made me consider whether other individuals with similar situations as myself are still dealing with similar issues today.  While I was growing up, especially in early grammar school, because of the label of being in a “special ed” program, whether I liked it or not, that was the label that was put on my classmates and me. The other kids saw it like that, and we saw it like that.

I don’t expect this to help anyone narrow the choice of where to send a student on the spectrum to school, public, private, mainstreamed, self contained…. Those are all legitimate subjects for another blog post. This was just a look back at what can be described as a right of passage for many “special” kids.   It is a passage that no child on the spectrum should have to suffer.

Educators and staff saying, “these are kids being kids” is unacceptable.   Even though the kids who tormented me may have had their own special problems, adults need to be aware and step in.

Inclusion for kids on the spectrum is often not the right solution.  In my case, I was left in an atmosphere of bullying with no one to help. Public schools are facing dwindling budgets and often aren’t able to provide the protected environment kids on the spectrum need.  I was lucky to have parents who found a safe and protective environment for me.  Many kids are not as fortunate.  I hope by spreading awareness of just how scary our world can sometimes be, people will display more sensitivity and provide the resources for us to feel safe and grow.

If you are involved with Autism Speaks U on your campus and would like your story to be featured on the Autism Speaks blog, please send it to AutismSpeaksU@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

This guest post is by Katie Weeks, a senior at the University of Miami in Ohio studying Speech Pathology and Child Studies/Disability Studies. She started an Autism Speaks U chapter and has done a fantastic job spreading awareness and raising funds on campus and in the Cincinnati area. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

My first exposure to autism was in high school.  Before I met Aneta, I knew virtually nothing about the complex disorder.  I was asked to help Aneta, my U.S. History classmate, a student with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Throughout the year, I battled frustration and confusion in our daily one-on-one sessions.  Eventually I practiced patience and gained empathy. Little did I know that this experience would trigger my exploration of and ultimate decision to pursue a career in speech pathology in order to work with those affected by autism.

My involvement with Autism Speaks began fairly recently.  Last summer I interned at the Autism Speaks’ Chicagoland Chapter office.  I had the unique opportunity to participate in a project which provided valuable free resources to families with newly diagnosed children.  During spring semester of 2010 before my internship, I researched student organizations on campus and found nothing related to autism.  This spurred my interest to see what it would take to start an Autism Speaks U chapter.  I initially met with a group of driven students I knew from various places around campus and formed our executive board.  From there we gained official student organization status and were ready to start planning events for the upcoming school year!

The response we got from the student body at our first meeting was amazing! There were over 200 students packed into a room that held 50, all eager to learn what our new organization was about.  Needless to say, we moved to a larger auditorium for our bi-monthly meetings.  At our chapter meetings we either have a speaker discuss their personal experiences with autism or show a video.  Our goals as an organization are to raise funds for Autism Speaks, volunteer within the local autism community and raise awareness among students and faculty on Miami’s camps.

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Our first semester on campus was extremely successful!  We held several different fundraising events including a bake sale, a holiday pottery-painting event, silly band fundraisers, and a happy hour.  So far we have raised almost $1,800 for Autism Speaks.  We’ve also reached out to the local community by hosting a “family fun day” at Butterfield Farms, where families affected by autism participated in a corn maze and hay ride!  Next semester we are hoping to plan a “Kids Night Out” babysitting event at a local elementary school to give parents a break.  We are also looking forward to volunteering at the Cincinnati Center for Autism and Safe Haven Farms, a local community for adults on the spectrum.

Our big event next semester will be our 5k run/walk which will be held on campus on April 17^th.  We are going to reach out to the Greek community and other campus organizations so that participants can sign up as a team.  From there participants will be able to go to our Autism Speaks U event page and individually fundraise from their families and friends. We will be advertising all semester and hope to see a large turnout for our culminating event of the school year! For more information, feel free to email me at weeksmk@muohio.edu.

If you are involved with Autism Speaks U on your campus and would like your story to be featured on the Autism Speaks blog, please send it to AutismSpeaksU@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

This guest post is by Autism Speaks staffer Kerry Magro. Kerry, an adult who has autism, is a rising senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Sports Management. He started an Autism Speaks U Chapter: Student Disability Awareness on campus to help spread awareness and raise funds for those affected by autism. Autism Speaks U is a program designed for college students who host awareness, advocacy and fundraising events, while supporting their local autism communities.

I wanted to start this post off with a scenario for you; imagine a 22-year-old college senior interviewing for job placement after he graduates. This individual is on the autism spectrum. Now, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are not allowed to discriminate based on disability. This sounds fair, right? Well, here’s the catch. Other minorities have the promise of Affirmative Action, a set of positive steps that employers use to promote equal employment opportunity and to eliminate possible discrimination. Those on the autism spectrum are part of a minority, among the largest minority in the United States, and are not given the same rights as other minorities. Nothing in the ADA says that affirmative action needs to be required for the possible employment of someone with a disability, and now more than ever, this puts those gifted individuals at risk of unemployment.

If you guessed correctly you will find that scenario is actually what I’m going through right now. I almost see it as another downgrade for those with autism. Before you even start college you lose your security blanket from high school, your IEP, and when you graduate college, you lose your ability to be treated the same as other minorities. That in itself, is discrimination.

Considering the playing field, starting affirmative action programs that include disabled individuals might be a blessing in disguise. Employers are always looking for the best (or should be) looking for the best quality when hiring someone. The fact is that with a majority of autistic individuals having the capability of mastering a specific skill, it puts them at the top of the recruitment food chain in certain areas. Problems in an interview can come from our socially awkward tendencies, which can put an employer off.

For example, if you have a guy who is great with numbers join a finance firm, who for some reason has a problem with dressing in business casual attire, are you going to fire him because he refuses to wear the clothes that are deemed professional if he is making your company millions? Same with communication difficulties, what happens if the interview doesn’t go smoothly? What if the person has difficulty working with others? Should that matter if the job is getting done effectively? Different variables must be considered for different situations.

I realize that there are many other considerations to address, but at the end of the day it has to scare you if you have a loved one on the spectrum who wants to be considered for a job to know that their equal employment opportunities are actually not as equal as others.  I’ve attended several autism conferences and learned that there are schools/sessions that focus on preparing autistic individuals to find work in the right environment. These prep courses can range in complexity to match the specific learning needs of that individual. However, these sessions usually come at a high expense and are not covered by an insurance provider (like many other treatments).

On the college level, the majority of Disability Support Offices in the Tri-State area are woefully underfunded and don’t focus on this type of training for their students. They have a hard enough time on limited funds supporting them through college. In high school the same can be said of the public schools focus on class integration, not job training. Both approaches save money usually at the student’s expense. If a college can get a student by with “reasonable accommodations” than tomorrow is not their concern.  Because of the way the ADA is structured and the way that affirmative action programs are focused, there needs to be either more job training for on the spectrum individuals or more legislation focused on fairer hiring actions (or both).  James I. Charlton, a disability advocate once said, “Nothing About Us, Without Us.” Autistic individuals, especially young adults have the ability to be a part of the largest disability movement in decades. It’s time for their voices to be heard.

(This is one of my Autism Speaks U related blog posts. If you would like to contact me directly about questions/comments related to this post I can be reached at kerry.magro@autismspeaks.org.)

Autism Speaks U, an initiative of Autism Speaks that works with college students across the country,  recently interviewed students about autism and the results were incredible. It showed that their involvement with Autism Speaks U is critical in spreading awareness on campus and in the community! Watch the video on What is Autism.

From this video, emerged our “What Does Autism Mean To You” series where college students share their perspective on autism. This post is by Daniel Grieves, a Senior at Towson University majoring in Strategic Public Relations under the feed of Mass Communication. Daniel has autism and is involved with the Center for Adults with Autism on campus and serves as a spokesperson for their organization.

I believe that autism is only a barrier. Students on the autism spectrum should not consider this barrier as a wall they cannot break down. They should consider it as something more easily penetrated.

What I mean is that a person with autism can overcome their shortcomings, no matter how large they may be. They are able to use their interests or goals to work beyond their problems and can do very well in certain types of subjects. An autistic student might do better with writing papers, working with computers, or solving math problems than many of his or her peers.

Daniel and fellow Towson students at the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event - photo courtesy of Karyn Bedell

People with autism still need support from people who care about them as well as services that are beneficial for them to achieve these goals. However, this is not easy to do especially with how most mass media forms treat the concept of autism and the fact that many people do not have a good understanding of what autism really is. By increasing awareness of what people on the spectrum are really like and what they are capable of, we can truly join together to take down that “barrier” that emotionally divides us people who have autism from people who don’t.

My advice for autistic students of all ages: Do not let your autism get the best of you. You can live your dreams as long as people are willing to help you get through and you try hard on all of your studies. If you think you will fail because of your autism, chances are you will fail. However, if you believe in succeeding and rising above your autism, you will have a better life.

Just remember my personal slogan: autism is only a disability if you make it a disability.

Happy Holidays!

If you are college student and would like your “What Does Autism Mean To You” story featured on the Autism Speaks blog, please send it to AutismSpeaksU@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.