About Me
Louis Scarantino
“Autism is not a tragedy, ignorance is,”
I was born in the 90’s and was diagnosed with autism at age 2.5. I had an abnormal childhood, not being able to speak until I was 5. When I started school, my mother, along with the counseling center I went to for support, have done so much to make me who I am today.
High school life was tough. I was bullied by special education teachers and principals who didn’t understand me. I got a job at Burger King in high school and won the Employee of the Month award three times. I once attended an Elton John concert and unexpectedly ended up signing autographs in the front row. It’s the only great memory I have from high school.
I went to a community college 40 minutes from home and drove there five days a week to improve my skills. I was hard on myself most of the time and always wanted to quit, but I got all my A’s and B’s. did.
Despite experiencing frustration in his youth because of his condition, I refused to give in and let it overtake his life. Years of hard work paid off when I graduated college Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Office Information Technology. I knew then that he had to do something to help shed light on autism and help more people get a better understanding of the condition.
Shania Twain
Introduced by a college friend, I became a big fan of country pop singer Shania Twain. I dreamed of meeting Twain after college, so I attended her show in Las Vegas in 2013. During the show, she came out to the audience, hugged and shook hands with fans, sang “Any Man of Mine,” and I was hugged. Later in the show, she called some fans on stage. I stepped out of the eleventh row and told Twain I was from Pennsylvania. She brought me up saying, “Come here in Pennsylvania.”
That inspired all I do today as an autism advocate, writer, and motivational speaker.
