This guest post is by Sara Whitman, a young woman who is diagnosed with autism and will attend university to study Kinesiology. Sara is applying 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: 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.
I was diagnosed with severe Autism at the age of 3, the doctors told my parents I may never speak or be able to live on my own. Growing up with Autism has put a lot of challenges in my life. I was nonverbal until the age of 6. Attended K4 in a self-contained special ed classroom, then was able to be in a classroom that offered inclusion until 4th grade, then went to a private Montessori school before transitioning back to a typical class for middle school and into High School. I had extreme meltdowns due to sensory issues and not being able to when I was younger, and I had a lot of social struggles. It was hard for me to make friends because everyone thought I was the odd kid out which led to being bullied a lot because of the differences I had compared to my peers.
In the seventh-grade people would always comment on my body, call me the weird kid, and start rumors about me, and rarely was I invited to any social activities such as birthday parties or get-togethers. I was so unhappy I remember I tried to commit suicide because I just felt so unlovable and that I didn’t belong anywhere, but a little voice in my head told me not to do it. I am so thankful that I listen to that voice in my head. I remember in eighth grade when I was about to start high school. I was scared for others to find out about my diagnoses because I didn’t want them to judge me or treat me any differently. I didn’t want to go to High School because I was scared that it was going to be just like middle school and I didn’t want to go through what I went through in middle school. To my surprise, in High School, I found more where I fit in. I started making so many new friends and became involved in many different clubs and activities.
One thing during high school that really made an impact on me was being selected to be a teacher aide in the special education program. This is where I found my passion for helping others and made me see that I want to become an Occupational Therapist and work with children with special needs. I feel like I have a connection with them that is very different than most. I have been where they are and can relate to them. I feel it has taught me some important lessons in life and the friendships gained during that time is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am beyond thankful for the amazing support of my friends and family that helped me get where I am today. During my time at Hillcrest I was on Varsity Softball, a Teacher Aide for the Special Education Program, I was in Beta Club, I was in National Honors Society my Junior Year, and a National Honors Society Officer my Senior Year. As well as being a part of FCA, which led me to finding my passion for Jesus Christ and also getting baptized in March 2024. High School has been the best time of my life. I have met the best people that I am so grateful for, and I have never been happier. Looking back at my middle school self I would tell her that everything will be okay, and you will be happy one day. I feel like I am following God’s plan for my life by pursuing are degree to help others with special needs.
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What happens to children with autism, when they become adults? | Kerry Magro | TEDxMorristown (youtube.com)Â
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.
