Landmark Internship at the White House

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Xavier DeGroat, 30, is a Michigan college student with autism who just completed a landmark internship at the White House.

Diagnosed with autism at age 4 and misunderstood for much of his childhood, DeGroat had a rough time in school. He was bullied and called names like "ret*d." His peers would egg him on to do things, like shooting rubber bands in class, that landed him in trouble. In high school, as he struggled to cope and had lots of anxiety, he found some respite at the library.

He started reading books about great historical figures, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Stephen Hawking, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and Albert Einstein. He decided that he would redefine himself by trying to meet with influential people.

"I thought I could make up my own strength and background by meeting with leaders, so I can come back to the same people that had doubts about me in my early life and disprove them wrong for doing bad things to me when I was a kid," DeGroat said.

He started a foundation, built a long list of allies and did meet plenty of powerful people. And at some point, he didn't worry as much about what other people thought of him.



DeGroat brought to the White House a persistence to help others with autism that recently paid off with a major legislative achievement in Lansing, Mich.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law in June bipartisan legislation that DeGroat had sought to allow state driver’s licenses and license plates to indicate to law enforcement that an individual has autism or a communication impediment.

The new designation -- embedded within data stored on the ID card -- should alert police that when they pull over someone with autism the sensory overload of the lights and sirens may have tipped off a meltdown situation that could be misunderstood by an approaching officer. People with autism can also have trouble communicating and can be very sensitive to physical touch, which may cause them to react in a way an officer could perceive as threatening.

Now, DeGroat is hoping that the Transportation Security Administration will also recognize state ID cards that indicate someone has a communication impediment. The sounds, stress and touch associated with airline security can cause freak-out episodes for some people with autism, DeGroat said. Much like how someone with a wheelchair may get priority in a TSA screening, DeGroat hopes someone with autism can bypass the line, too.

Source: White House intern with autism changes laws and opens hearts

Xavier DeGroat - Autistic Networker Extraordinaire

Congratulation Xavier

Michigan resident with autism completes White House internship, plans to continue advocacy work