I am one of many adults on the Autism Spectrum.

This article is about how I picked a skill as a means for compensating for any perceived weakness in order to live a more fulfilled life.

I figured out at a very early age that I loved to read and once I got my hands on a book, I read it really quickly and retained much of the knowledge that I gained from it. Eventually, I read more books and made logical connections between the subjects in each of the books. As a result, I have discovered my passion to be that of research.

That passion for research got me $9,000 a year in scholarships for my undergraduate education where I wrote two 50 page seminar papers and gained a recognized expertise in political science and public affairs. Networking then allowed me to monetize this skill to candidates, new organizations, and the Illinois Republican Party. This would take on new meaning when I was diagnosed as being someone on the Autism spectrum. My acceptance and motivation to improve my situation has been the product of research and the desire to learn everything about Autism.

This passion then led me to JJsList.com, initially just to be a volunteer/intern and I didn’t really know what to expect. The experience has been much more than that and has taught me another lesson that applies to all people, especially persons with disabilities. When you put yourself out there and are proud of what you have to offer, people will do amazing things for you. So find your passion, work it and nothing can stop you from soaring to any height you want to reach.

Your passion may or may not be research but work hard to find that passion and utilize that to compensate for your weaknesses and bring out the best in yourself. If you are a baker, bake the best pies. If you are a teacher, train the great minds of our future. In other words, be the best you can be with what you have to offer.

As we say at JJsList.com, I want to be known as someone who is passionate, caring, hard working, honest, and most importantly, friendly to all. It’s about work and more importantly, life as a person with a disability.