Meet Kadin M.

In this edition of Our Team. Our Stories., we’re proud to introduce Kadin M., our Content & Storytelling Intern on our social media team. A communications major at Kent State University and a passionate self-advocate, Kadin brings both lived experience and a love for sharing meaningful narratives to his role.  

Diagnosed with Level 1 autism at the age of two, he has turned his journey into a platform for raising awareness and empowering others. Through his internship with our communications and social media team, Kadin is helping ensure that autistic voices and perspectives are heard while continuing to grow as a leader and advocate.

Learn more about Kadin and his journey as a vocal self-advocate in this Q&A:

What’s your why? What inspired you to want to intern at Autism Speaks?

As a self-advocate, Autism Speaks has helped me tremendously throughout the course of my life. They have provided me and my family access to a variety of resources and personalized guidance. I can honestly say the organization has been a huge contributing factor to my success. So, in a way, things are coming full circle for me, as I am now helping create content that will hopefully help other autistic people thrive.

What is a challenge that often occupies your thoughts and how has it shaped your perspective or approach in life?

One notable challenge I have as an autistic individual is being able to properly understand social skills. However, thanks to my internship with Autism Speaks and my work with various other autism focused organizations, my social skills and my confidence have improved tremendously. Having the opportunity to be an active participant in meetings and develop personal connections with so many amazing people who work here, I now approach life with the assurance that the work I do helps me in more ways than one.  

What’s your favorite thing about the internship?  

This one is a hard question to answer, as there’s a lot of things I like about this internship. However, if I had to choose one thing I like specifically, it would be that I get to work with a team that cares about each other and is open to ideas. These individuals each have their own personal connections to this cause and truly believe in what Autism Speaks does.

What is one hope you hold close to your heart for autistic people and how do you pursue this hope in your daily life and work?

I hope that society learns that an individual’s situation doesn’t have to define them in any way. Everyone can live their best lives no matter their situation, especially autistic individuals. Society just has to be open and empathetic.

What is something you want the world to know about the autistic community?

That we are capable of doing great things, as long as society is willing to give us a chance.

What can Autism Speaks do better to help autistic people “Redefine Possible?”

This is a tough one because Autism Speaks has so many life-changing resources that autistic individuals can utilize in order to live fulfilling lives. However, I think something that would benefit the community greatly would be more virtual support groups for autistic people to connect and work on the social skills and build relationships. Whether it’s on social, in a virtual forum or a Zoom call, I think this would ensure that all autistic people can have a space they can go to if they ever feel misunderstood.