Every day I find myself working to grow within an environment that’s hard to understand socially – an environment where people sometimes have a hard time getting along with others. That difficulty is where I find the inspiration and realization that there’s so much more out there for me to understand.

That one step was where I think I needed to begin.

Learning how to discover myself from youth to adulthood gave me some ideas on where I am both personally and for the rest of the autism community.

To anyone who thinks there isn’t much you can do – there is so much out there and so many unique paths for who you are. I remember having negative thoughts connected with my “disability.” I wanted to achieve so much and, even now, I find it to be a challenge. Challenges are what makes one grow and feel the need to be themselves. I have one goal: To inspire independence among the autism spectrum disorder community. It takes time for people to be their best selves in a world where there’s so much to do.

I am a self-advocate and I feel determined to move and to motivate the ASD community. I thought of the title “living in a puzzling world with infinite possibilities” because I thought it would be impactful to the people I am advocating for, referencing the puzzle piece and the infinity sign in the ASD community. The puzzle piece and infinity sign represent a transition – much like my personal growth into going outside more. As someone on the spectrum, I hope that, if others have a goal to gain independence in their personal lives, I can try my best to help.

There’s so much to see, to do, and to learn what’s out there for people on the spectrum. As I’ve seen in my own growth, it can be very challenging. As we push toward our goals, let us guide ourselves through this puzzling world and see the infinite things that are awaiting! Happy Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month to all!