My Life With Autism
By: Gary Oey Steven
Growing up with Autism and Mental Health struggles, I never received the sufficient compassion or mental health support from the medical professionals I saw, due to them seeing Autism as a disorder that would prevent me from having certain opportunities in life. For example, a medical professional once told me that I may find it harder to get into certain majors, have certain jobs, or maintain romantic relationships with people, due to my mind and development not having enough capacity to learn how to navigate those experiences. I have been discharged and denied mental health counseling by multiple therapists and clinics in the past because many clinicians and clinics I have received support from did not have proper education or training on ways to provide Autistic clients with treatment—which led them to misunderstanding what Autism is and seeing it as a trait minimizing an individual’s abilities. My life was all about needing to figure everything out on my own, including my mental health, since I had no one who would properly accommodate me, meet my needs, or accept that I can develop along with the neurotypical population, although I may develop and internalize signals differently.
I decided to join BC2M at my high school—Sophia Nericcio being my regional program manager. Since I started being part of BC2M (December 2023) until the end of my Junior year of high school (June 2024), I have been expressing to Sophia about how Autism is overlooked in mental health and why it should be discussed more in both mental health and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) subjects. One thing she inferred which made me become more passionate in Autism and Mental Health is that, “Autism is not really talked about in Mental Health or DEI settings. People usually tend to overlook the Autistic population, since there are not enough resources, people are not educated enough about Autism, nor are there enough Autistic people in advocacy or leadership roles.”
Throughout the summer break, Summer 2024, both Sophia and I have collaborated on creating an education presentation about Autism and Mental Health. I have provided her with photos, quotes, and related information to educate others about Autism. Then, she honored me with a certificate for my awesome work, letter of recommendation for future mental health programs, and published the presentation in the nationwide high school club portal.
As I continue to elaborate more on Autism and Mental Health, I would like for more BC2M school clubs, BC2M ambassadors, BC2M DEI initiative programs and publications, and the BC2M organization as a whole to elaborate more on Autism as a mental health topic, along with other mental health and DEI topics which were already discussed. For example, it is important that both youth mental health advocates and staff covering all mental health topics would learn more about Autism, so that they can educate students and staff who participate in BC2M that Autism should never be recognized as a disorder which would limit an individual’s ability or right, but rather a wide spectrum which different Autistic people can experience differently and may navigate life diversely—along with certain challenges they may need accommodations for.
Finally, within this school year, 2024-2025, I attended the New York BC2M Summit on November 16, 2024. Due to Sophia’s compassion and consideration to influence BC2M to promote more mental health knowledge on Autism, I announced her name and how wonderful she is as a regional program manager—beginning to amplify Autistic voices.
I cannot be more proud to be both a TAB member, TTF member, and my BC2M high school club’s student leader. I am thrilled to see how my advocacy will impact everyone at BC2M, especially Autistic students who seek compassion or mental health support. Since I am passionate in supporting Autistic people with their mental health and advocating for Autism Acceptance, I will go to CUNY Guttman Community College in Fall 2025 and major in human services.
For students with Autism of diverse developmental levels and social areas, you are not alone. You all are brave and will eventually find a way to cope with the challenges you may face with Autism. While you may currently struggle, you will eventually discover a way to become more resilient, stand up for yourself, and seek related justice.
Helpful Information
Try to seek out counselors with training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, Play Therapy, Music or Art Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Social Skills Training (SST), Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), or SCERTS® (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, Transactional Support)
More BC2M Resources
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
Including Students with Disabilities
General Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Resources
Call, Text, or Chat with 988
Text BC2M to 741741
Call (866-488-7386), Text (678678), or Chat (thetrevorproject.org/get-help/) with The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ Autistic Youth
