My name is Marcus Rodriguez, and I have high-functioning autism (HFA). For those who don't know what autism is, autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3. Currently there is no cure for autism, though with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved and in some cases completely overcome.
As a child, life has been proving itself to be quite challenging and in some cases cruel. When I was growing up, I felt like I was a social outcast because I knew that I was different from the other children. I couldn't talk until I was almost 5, not that talkative and always kept to myself. About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood. In the past, most would've said that I wouldn't be able to attend public schools or even make it to college. But through early intervention and treatment such as speech-language therapy and others, I've slowly learned how to become an independent person able to take care of myself, pay my bills, go to work and to be able to provide for my family. Still to this day, I've made mistakes. But I've learned from them as best as I can.
Now, as a college student set to graduate in 2014 with an associate's degree in liberal arts, I seek to prove "nay-sayers" that even though I have a disability, I CAN defy the odds and prove them wrong. I've proved myself by serving as the first autistic president my college's student body and was appointed to serve on the Western Massachusetts Regional Advisory Consumer Council to address concerns of policies and procedures, financial concerns, organizational issues concerning the Agency, accessibility of Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission offices and development of consumer council relationships and to advocate to state legislators regarding appropriate legislation for people with disabilities.
Westfield, MA