The Autism Society of Mahoning Valley, in partnership with The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, welcomes award winning national speaker and best-selling author Dr. Kerry Magro to the Main Library. Dr. Magro will share his personal journey from being a nonspeaking child with Autism to becoming a professional speaker, best-selling author and advocate whose work has reached audiences across the country.
"At the heart of this event is a simple but important idea: people deserve to see themselves represented in the stories we share, the resources we provide, and the conversations we create, the PLYMC will always work to fill that essential need,” PLYMC Chief Experience Officer Erin Phemester said. “We are proud to partner with the Autism Society of Mahoning Valley to welcome Dr. Kerry Magro to the Library and provide an opportunity for our community to learn from an autistic advocate whose voice, experiences, and work are helping build a more inclusive world." Phemester continued.
"Bringing an Autistic author to Youngstown has been a dream of mine and Autism Society Mahoning Valley for a long time,” said Autism Society of Mahoning Valley Executive Director Jodi Glass. “I’m so grateful that our partnership with the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County has helped make that dream a reality. This event is about creating opportunities for our community to hear directly from an Autistic voice, share experiences, and celebrate the power of representation" continued Glass
The event will be held at the Main Library’s Event Space, and registration is full.
Address:
305 Wick Ave
Youngstown OH 44503
6:00pm-7:00pm
REGISTRATION IS FULL
NOTE: Any members of the media who wish to cover the event should coordinate with Strategic Communications Officer Michael Stepp
About Dr. Kerry Magro
Dr. Kerry Magro Ed.D. is an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author and Autism consultant. Magro was nonspeaking until age 2½, was diagnosed with Autism at age 4 and did not speak in complete sentences until age 7. Today, he has spoken at more than 1,400 events, including two TEDx Talks and a Talks at Google presentation.
Magro is an Autism consultant for Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning series Love on the Spectrum U.S. and HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher. His work also includes serving as a writer for PBS Kids’ Carl the Collector, featuring the network’s first autistic main character.
Kerry is CEO and President of KFM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided more than 150 scholarships for autistic students to attend college since 2011. The organization has also provided 27 small business grants to businesses that hire people with disabilities. For the past decade, Magro has also played Santa Claus for autistic children and children with disabilities, providing sensory-friendly opportunities for families to experience a visit with Santa.
Through his Facebook page, Kerry’s Autism Journey, Magro conducts on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by an Autism diagnosis and works to break down barriers and increase understanding in the community. The page has more than 400,000 followers, and his videos have been viewed more than 35 million times.
Magro is the author of several books, including Defining Autism From The Heart, Autism and Falling in Love, I Will Light It Up Blue, Autistics on Autism, Supporting Your Autism Journey: Award-Winning Autistic Adult Answers Your Burning Questions and Santa Goes The Extra Mile for Children with Disabilities. His books have reached Amazon Best-Seller Lists for Special Needs Parenting.
Magro’s advocacy and expertise have been featured by NBC’s Today Show, CBS News, FOX5 and Upworthy, among other media outlets. He also frequently speaks to companies about neurodiversity and inclusion in the workplace, including JP Morgan Chase, TD Bank and S&P Global.
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The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) has served the Mahoning Valley since 1880 when the Youngstown Library Association was officially created. With 14 branches across Mahoning County, including Main Library in downtown Youngstown, PLYMC is well known for its signature services and programs like Summer Discovery and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. PLYMC serves our communities by preparing children for kindergarten, promoting early literacy, assisting job seekers, connecting Valley residents to technology, and providing resources for small businesses.