Member-only story
How an Advocate Is Using His Autism Diagnosis to Help Others
Marcus Boyd was born with autism, although he wasn’t formally diagnosed until the age of ten years old. When he was a child, he was separated from his biological parents and went would become a resident of sixteen different foster homes and seven group homes. Today, Marcus is trying to take his experiences and advocate for those on the spectrum. He also aims to encourage those who are living or caring for people with autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental diagnosis that involves life-long challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The severity of symptoms is different in each person.
As a parent of a child who is on the autistic spectrum, I wanted to speak to Marcus about his experiences and help others.
Advocating for Autism Rights
While Marcus is currently a music producer and has collaborated with artists such as Mobb Deep and Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, it was a long road to get to that point.
I asked him what was helpful to him as he navigated the spectrum, including sensory issues, socialization, learning, etc. We discussed how every child is different, including what may resonate and reach them.
