My life with multiple disabilities
My name is Auden Knapp and I have multiple disabilities that affect my life. I was born 3 months prematurely with an 80% chance that I would die shortly after birth. It is a miracle that I am alive! As a result, I have 6 lesions on my brain and have severe learning disabilities. I also have ADHD and I am autistic. I also struggle with Tourette's Syndrome. All of this has shaped me into the person I am today. I am passionate about advocating for disabilities, especially being a person of color, where there is less visibility regarding the intersection between race and disability. I take each day as it comes. My Tourette's can make it hard to do daily activities like focusing on my school work or sitting in class. It can be really annoying and persistent and incredibly frustrating at times! My Autism and ADHD make it so I miss social cues, dislike loud noises & the textures of my clothing, and travel to places. I often miss important deadlines and have trouble focusing on tasks. I frequently feel like my brain is like a TV that is skipping through multiple channels at once. My severe learning disabilities make schooling INCREDIBLY difficult. I am going into my last year of college and I'm graduating soon. This accomplishment will be so important to me! Learning concepts in school has been a nightmare in itself. Thankfully, my parents have advocated for me ever since I was little and I have a strong support group of friends. I am proud to be a part of the disability community. This is who I am. I cannot change my brain, I can only change the way people THINK about the way in which my brain works.
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