Autism All-Stars
It’s November! What a great time to consider the things we are thankful for. Children who have special needs are often blessed with unique and extraordinary gifts and talents. These gifts and talents can be a true blessing to your family and the world in teaching acceptance and understanding. In today’s blog, we are going to tell you about 3 famous individuals who have autism and how they are using their gifts and talents to educate and inspire others about the autism spectrum.
Kerry Magro
Kerry Magro was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) a form of autism, at age 4. He was non-verbal, but through therapy, the support of his family, and the gifts and talents he was blessed with, he has become a professional speaker and best-selling author. He has also had opportunities to consult on movie sets, start a non-profit, and host a TV talk show. You can view his website here.
Kerry is a role model and an inspiration to many and continues to work towards furthering education about autism. In his blog, he shares stories of individuals that have been diagnosed with autism. He showcases many of their accomplishments, including sharing some of their inspirational quotes. We wanted to share a few of those quotes that felt fitting during this month of Thanksgiving.
“At the end of the day, we don’t dream our lives…WE LIVE THEM!”
-Anthony Ianni“Everyone has a mountain to climb and autism has not been my mountain, it has been my opportunity for victory.”
-Rachel Barcellona“Anything is possible! If I can do it, so can you!”
-Dani Bowman“I might hit developmental and societal milestones in a different order than my peers, but I am able to accomplish these small victories on my own time.”
-Haley Moss“Autism doesn’t come with an instruction guide. It comes with a family who will never give up.”
-Kerry Magro
Tony DeBlois
Tony DeBlois was born premature, weighing just under 2 pounds. Then as a youth, he was diagnosed with blindness, autism, and savant syndrome. He had to overcome many obstacles, but he didn’t let those obstacles slow him down! He is said to have a ‘let me do it independently’ attitude.
Tony is now a successful pianist having toured around the world. He began playing the piano at age 2. He also learned how to play the organ, harmonica, guitar, harpsichord, English handbells, violin, banjo, drums, saxophone, clarinet, ukulele, mandolin flute, and trumpet. In addition to playing music, he has been the inspiration for a made for TV movie and several books. He has received recognition and awards from several foundations.
Quoting from his website:
“For Tony, there are no ‘roadblocks’ but mere obstacles to be cast aside or skirted. His favorite phrase seems to be, ‘I haven’t learned that yet.’ ”
You can learn more about Tony on his website here.
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is currently a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and is an author and speaker on animal behavior and autism. She’s also been featured in major magazines and national television shows. She is well-known for breaking down some of the stigmas and barriers commonly associated with autism.
She authored a book titled, Emergence: Labeled Autistic. An excerpt from the foreword written by Dr. Rimland, a father of a son with autism and fellow author, says “Temple's ability to convey to the reader her innermost feelings and fears, coupled with her capacity for explaining mental processes will give the reader an insight into autism that very few have been able to achieve.”
As quoted from her website:
“When she was young, she was considered weird and teased and bullied in high school. The only place she had friends was activities where there was a shared interest such as horses, electronics, or model rockets. Mr. Carlock, her science teacher, was an important mentor who encouraged her interest in science. When she had a new goal of becoming a scientist, she had a reason for studying. Today half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities she has designed.”
As the world becomes more aware that autism exists, it gives us all a great opportunity to share inspiration, understanding, and education on the subject. You and your child included! If you have questions about how you can help your child identify and develop their unique gifts and talents, 121 LearningWorks is available to help. Schedule your FREE-30 minute discovery call!
