BROOKLYN, NY – According to the CDC, more than 3.5 million people in the United States – 1 in 54 people – are autistic. During Autism Awareness Month, several Kingsborough Community College (KCC) students shared their first-hand experience living on the spectrum.
“I believe autism is called a spectrum because people with autism shine; they have many lights. That’s what a spectrum is,” offers Benjamin Hanon, a KCC alumnus, now the assistive technology specialist for KCC’s Access-Ability Services, who is also living with autism. “The level of diversity that comes from the world of neurodiversity — the world of being on the autism spectrum — is beautiful.”
Sophomore Brieanne Fiorica, a theatre arts major, compares autism to a giant array of flowers. “Every flower is so different because of the spectrum being so diverse. Every type of autism plays some major role in this world.”
Society tends to focus on the negative characteristics associated with autism, such as difficulty interacting socially, challenges with speech, the need for routine, and sensitivity to sensory overload. Speaking with the college community via Zoom, Dr. Stephen Shore, an author and autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University, said that what we so often consider as challenges and weaknesses can be flipped to become strengths.
He included typical characteristics like being hyper-focused and detail oriented, having excellent memory skills, and being visually oriented.
Sophomore Taylor Fischer, a liberal arts major with a passion for art and helping others, agrees. “Autism does not mean you are always disabled or cannot do anything. Most times, having autism gives people special gifts and abilities that may eventually help change our world,” she explains. “For example, some people on the autism spectrum become engineers, doctors, and scientists who contribute to society in a positive and helpful way.”
Shore reminds us that there are many professions where it’s advantageous to be detail oriented, like accounting, the arts, and computer programming. “We’ve seen large IT firms such as Microsoft, Google, SAP, Apple, and a number of others actively seek autistic individuals as their employees, because they know many of us have taken “geekery” to such a high level that some of us can do things in IT that nobody else can – or we do them much better or faster.”
“One of the strengths of autism is that people on the spectrum are very good at following rules and routines and instructions,” notes Hanon. “If you need something done by a specific set of instructions, and you don’t want it messed up, get someone with autism to do it.”
“It might it be possible to say that if we put a non-autistic person in one of these situations that they have a deficit in detail-oriented thinking,” quipped Shore.
Liberal arts major William Alex Wong, a sophomore, said his autistic characteristics are only a problem when he has to socialize. “I have absolutely no problems with my academic endeavors. I actually was on the Dean’s List for my first semester at Kingsborough. I appreciate having a support system of people willing to assist me in my academic journey, which has made my life easier at this college.
“One thing that makes me unique is that I have an uncanny ability to be able to memorize my professor’s lectures. It just comes naturally. I need to be in the front of the class, where I watch and listen to my professors. When test time comes, I am able to recall the lecture by keywords on the page. The answers are right in front of my mind.”
While many are diagnosed as toddlers, Tyler Jean found out he was on the spectrum only three years ago. “I would like others to see that autism shouldn’t impact your life at all because, even if you have that disability. You should be happy about how you are and what you like to do.” The media arts major wants to eventually supervise film productions, helping with editing, color correction, camera work, and special effects.
Andrew Brady, a freshman majoring in graphic arts and illustration, describes himself as hardworking and creative. “I like to think of myself as funny at times,” adds the Dean’s List recipient. “Having autism is a different way of understanding information and living life. I think outside of the box. Which means that for me when it comes to understanding pieces of information, I try to think about things from a different perspective. I will rephrase the professor’s words into my way of thinking. It’s helped me a lot of times in art and it’s helped me a lot in my other studies.”
“Andrew got me to be a better professor and improve my teaching techniques,” admits KCC art professor Madeline Sorel. “I often would only explain my assignments verbally to the class. He would ask me to write them down. It actually helped me because, when I would write them down, I would understand my own objectives for the assignment better.”
“Andrew said one of the advantages to autism is that he thinks outside the box. This is what leads to creativity,” said Sorel. “And that’s what you want to see when you go to an art show: somebody who’s imagination is brought into your own thinking.”
Andrew and Jared Lyn, another talented artist on the spectrum, both volunteered to work with students in Sorel’s intergenerational art class. “Sometimes older people get isolated. They don’t see many younger people and so I appreciated that Andrew and Jared both volunteered.”
“They make the classes really lively,” added Susan Savit, one of the students in the intergenerational art class. “Besides making us jealous with their artistic talents, they brighten up the class and make it much more interesting than a bunch of old ladies making crafts and painting.”
While having difficulty processing information and interpreting unspoken signals can be difficult enough, it is often the cruelty resulting from ignorance by the general population that hurts most. Andrew reminds us that “people with autism are the same, we just think differently. We should not think of it as a disability, it is another way of life. I am normal to me.”
“There were moments in time I remember clear as day, people would just say not the nicest of things. They bullied me because they didn’t know what I have and it aggravated me sometimes,” recalls Brieanne. “On the brighter side, I remember specific people in my life that came in and lifted me up. They showed me the greatest things of life. I’m still thankful for those people today.”
“There’s so much more than just ‘having autism.’ There are different levels,” Brieanne explains. “For example, communicating with others is sometimes a struggle for me. I feel like not many people would understand what I, an individual, would be thinking. But in my mind, internally, I would understand it completely. I just lack the words to explain that to others.”
Acting has been Brieanne’s passion for as long as she can remember. She loves throwing herself into a role and immersing herself in the life of her character.
She dreams to one day inspire someone else. “I feel like there isn’t an actor that represents what I have, disability wise…dealing with autism and PDD-NOS. I want to show that it’s okay to have a disability and, that it is okay to be you, and that you should not feel like you should be ashamed of yourself. You should strive for what you love. You can do anything as long as you put your heart and mind to it,” she shared. “I want one girl to tell their parents: ‘Mom! Dad! I want to be her! I want to do what she is doing!’
Ethan Jones, a liberal arts major in his last semester at Kingsborough, feels that the people with autism he knows are good at not getting caught up in stereotypes. “We all just behave like human beings,” he notes. “Because I have autism, I feel like it’s allowed me to think of myself and other people as individuals. Every day, I get up and I feel proud that I have autism.”
About Kingsborough Community College
Founded in 1963, Kingsborough Community College is Brooklyn’s only community college and is part of the City University of New York (CUNY). Located on a 70-acre campus in Manhattan Beach, Kingsborough remains firmly committed to its mission of providing both liberal arts and career education, promoting student learning and development, as well as strengthening and serving its diverse community. Kingsborough provides a high-quality education through associate degree programs that prepare students for transfer to senior colleges or entry into the workforce. Serving approximately 10,000 full- and part-time students annually and an additional 10,000 students in its expanding continuing education program, Kingsborough has earned recognition as a Leader College of Distinction for excellence in student success by Achieving the Dream, and has been identified as a Top Community College in the nation by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program six consecutive times.
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CONTACT: Cheryl Todmann | cheryl.todmann@kbcc.cuny.edu | C: (646) 897-2508 | T: (718) 368-6760