When Dr. Kerry Magro was first diagnosed with autism nearly 30 years ago, the most common pop-culture symbol of autism in the media was from the movie Rain Man. At the time, it was the idea that only boys could be autistic, and savantism was the norm and not the exception. Today, Dr. Magro consults with various television shows and movie productions to help them realistically portray the variety of people that exist in the autism world.
With a diagnosis of PDD NOS, as a child, Kerry was labeled a “low-functioning” autistic child. But today he has a Ph.D. in education and is a public speaker, consultant, and self-advocate across a variety of social media channels. For Kerry, using the labels of “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” ignores the different characteristics and strengths that are inside every child with autism. He shares why he prefers to think of autism as a color wheel instead of a spectrum.
Both Kerry and I enjoy the show Love on the Spectrum, which follows adults with autism who are searching for love in Australia. I appreciate the realistic and hopeful message of the show, and Kerry hopes that it comes to America.
Some of Kerry’s YouTube videos have been viewed 35 million times, and he uses his platform to share his message of inclusion and hope. A lot of Kerry’s work is centered around the idea that representation of autism in the media matters. The media’s portrayal of people with autism has changed over the years to become more diverse, but still, less than one percent of disabled characters are played by disabled actors. It’s Kerry’s hope that we not only continue to include more voices but that we also have disabled actors portray those voices.
Today’s Guest
Dr. Kerry Magro is an award-winning professional speaker, best-selling author, and autism consultant to the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher that aired last Fall. He started professional speaking 9 years ago via the National Speakers Association and has spoken at over 900 events during that time. In addition, Kerry is the CEO & President of KRM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided 68 scholarships for students with autism for college. In his spare time, he hosts a Facebook Page called Kerry’s Autism journey that now has 202,000 Facebook followers where he does on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by a diagnosis to break-down barriers in our community. His videos have been watched over 35 million times.
Kerry’s best-selling books Defining Autism From the Heart and Autism and Falling in Love have reached Amazon Best-Seller Lists for Special Needs Parenting. He is based in Hoboken, New Jersey, and can be contacted about collaborations at [email protected].
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