This guest post is by Nicholas Boyle, a young man who is diagnosed with autism and plans to attend Ursinus College. Nicholas is applying for the Spring 2024 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 Nicholas Wilson Boyle and I have Autism. Expressing these words has always been a challenge for me, regardless of the support I have received. This is the story of my journey growing up with ASD.
I entered this world as Nicholas Wilson Boyle, delivered through c-section by my two loving mothers. Yes, I am fortunate to have two moms. Throughout my childhood, I affectionately referred to them as Momma and Mommy. Additionally, I have a younger brother. It wasn’t until I attended elementary school that I realized my circumstances were different from others. In school, I quickly learned not everyone is accepting of someone with two moms or someone with Autism.
At the beginning of my school career, I faced difficulties in staying still and focusing, which led to an early diagnosis of ADHD. Fortunately, the prescribed medication worked for my ADHD symptoms. I did get into trouble for other things, like touching walls and correcting my classmates. Second grade started off to be a dreadful year for me. My teacher did not support me. She yelled often whenever I dropped my materials. This caused me to become anxious and eventually refuse to go to school, which was a significant change for someone who loves learning.
My moms had numerous interactions with the school administration, trying to find a solution.
One day my moms took me out of school early without my brother. That day I went to a pediatric neurologist. He diagnosed me with ASD, specifically Asperger’s. Then things at school began to look up. I was moved into a different second grade classroom. I had a teacher that helped me make friends and helped me in school. Things started to get better. At home, I began going to group every week and I received help in reading and in writing in school. I loved my teachers and my classmates. My mom’s were very involved. They were always at the school. My mom still jokes, “The school probably had a warning poster up of your Momma’s face.” All I know is what they did, helped me. I made friends and liked to be in school again. Then everything changed when I went to middle school.
Everything changed when I went to middle school. I quickly learned to mask my autism. I encountered cruel individuals who bullied me for being different. I also learned not to talk about having two moms for fear of ridicule. My sixth and seventh grade years were marked with constant bullying, which caused me to develop a stutter. I would isolate myself rather than make friends. Everyday was a new horror. I was constantly made fun of and insulted because I acted differently and went about things in a different way. I recall my first day of seventh grade clearly. I went the entire day without saying a single word, while being surrounded by people I could have talked to. There was one kid that year that would go out of his way to bully me. He would frequently call me “faggot”. I knew I wasn’t gay, but with gay parents, that deeply offended me. I never provoked him, yet he clearly thought otherwise. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I was sprayed with mace in a classroom. My parents decided to transfer me to a new school for eighth grade. In contrast, my eighth grade year was a better year for me… until COVID.
The COVID-19 pandemic, while detrimental to my social life, was a blessing for my mental health because I was able to “go” to ninth grade in the comfort and safety of my home. I recovered from the horrors of middle school and looked forward to being back in the classroom. In tenth grade, something changed in me. I knew I needed to discover where I belonged. I tried out for multiple teams, including swimming, crew, and football; but didn’t make the teams. I eventually found my passion in track & field. Despite the absence of a dedicated throwing coach, I learned how to throw the shot put and discuss for my school team. During my junior year, I participated in both indoor and outdoor track seasons. As my skills developed, I was given the responsibility of training new athletes in shot put. My ability to effectively teach and motivate others led to my appointment as the captain of the throwing team and to win the track-and-field “Rising Star Award.” A senior now, I am co-captain of the entire track-and-field team.
I also found a passion for the U.S. Government & Politics. I took part in the national YMCA Youth-and-Government program. During this program, I had the opportunity to visit Dover and engage in simulated legislative activities. While I had always understood the importance of advocating for what is just, being at the capital allowed me to truly comprehend why. Although my bill did not succeed in the second chamber, its defeat allowed me to learn an incredible amount about the democratic process. This experience felt incredibly surreal to me. Engaging in debates on the house floor, discussing my own bill as well as those proposed by others, solidified my belief that I want a career in politics.
As a person with autism, I have learned that determination is key in the journey to discovering what makes you happy and where you belong. I will attend Ursinus College in the fall, where I will pursue a degree in political science, while also throwing for Ursinus’ track-and-field team. I think back about how many social groups I participated in when I was younger and how often I was at one therapy or another, but now I have chosen a career path in the social sciences; as I will have to interact with my constituents if I want to become a congressman. The journey to reach this point has been a lot of work, although I didn’t always recognize it as such.
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, Tiktok, Youtube & Instagram.
What happens to children with autism, when they become adults? | Kerry Magro | TEDxMorristown (youtube.com)
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.
