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Beondre Peters, Susquehanna Twp. High School senior and a student at the Susquehanna Twp. School of the Arts, shares his experience at a "Perspectives on Autism" forum, Penn State Harrisburg.

(M. Diane McCormick)

At first, Beondre Peters associated writing with learning to write in cursive. Ugh.

"Why do we need to make these fancy loops?" he wondered.

But today, at 17, Beondre is an award-winning poet. Writing is "a form of expressing yourself. You jot down ideas, no matter how weird."

Beondre said all this to 100 people at Penn State Harrisburg on Sept. 24. From his assurance and wit, you'd have thought he was a public speaking pro. But the Susquehanna Twp. High School senior was addressing a crowd for the first time, speaking at a forum, "Perspectives on Autism."

The college forum gave education and psychology majors insights into the children they will someday teach and counsel. Two experts shared their professional views. Beondre, who has Asperger's and ADHD, gave the topic real-life urgency. He has learned to control a racing mind, he said.

Beondre Peters, center, and his mom, Julie Peters, right, talk with Penn State Harrisburg psychology professor Kim Schreck after the "Perspectives on Autism" forum.

"My thoughts could be out there because I tend to overthink some things," he said. "Would I like to watch TV? If they say SpongeBob, I think of oceans, and it goes downhill from there."

His advice for teachers: Don't give instructions that you don't follow yourself. And don't isolate kids who act up, but encourage all students to work in groups, "so they feel accepted, and they'll be more inclined to actually open up, instead of going back into their shell," he said.

Beondre read his powerful poem, "A Walk through Life," that won regionally in a national NAACP poetry contest.

"Let's take a walk through life," he read. "Do you choose gun or knife? One shoots, the other cuts, and you'll get hurt no matter what. Lately we do not know how to address all the people overcome by stress, so we turn and walk away because we don't want to stay and help someone live another day."

The poem seemed both helpless and hopeful. This, from a young man whose impromptu comments at the podium were flat-out funny. Like when he described his high school journey and the early decision whether to attend Dauphin County Technical School.

"When you're in ninth grade, they say you can go to high school or – so, as soon as you hear the word 'or,' you're like, 'I want a different way. Maybe I can stay home to sleep,'" he said.

After the forum, Beondre told me he'll continue speaking out for kids on the autism spectrum. He wants teachers to use students' interests in classroom lessons.

"As I progress over the years, I realize that students tend to be annoyed at the teachers if they realize there's not a connection there," he said.

Beondre's mom, Julie Peters, said her son has "never been shy. He's always been outgoing and easy to talk with, but he's always had a hard time staying focused on the conversation and he's improved that so much more. He's a joy to talk with now."

Beondre's support team of Susquehanna Twp. teachers and administrators has helped tremendously, she said. Plus, he has simply matured, like any 17-year-old.

"He said one time, 'Asperger's and puberty are really not good together,'" said his dad, Greg Peters.

Beondre's mom summed up the story of this young man intent on advocating for kids like him, who shared his personal journey with strangers, who plans to attend college and study literature, music or art.

"He's a tremendous kid," Julie Peters said.