This year’s youngest contestant for Miss America was diagnosed with autism, the contestant told Fox News on Tuesday.
Miss Montana Alexis Wineman told “Fox & Friends” hostess Gretchen Carlson that she was diagnosed as autistic at age 11.
“I really wanted to know what was wrong with me,” Wineman told Carlson, and was grateful to have a diagnosis but felt it came too late.
Now 18 years old, Wineman told Carlson she suffers “constant meltdowns” under pressure, “takes things literally” and sometimes has difficulty communicating.
She appeared to have mixed feelings about her mother’s suggestions that she take up cheerleading and drama in high school, but said they helped her cope with autism.
Once uncertain about being able to graduate from high school, she now hopes to earn a bachelor of arts degree in art therapy.
Once a self-described outcast, she hopes to become the first autistic Miss America to further help her advance her platform, “Normal is Just a Dryer Setting: Living with Autism.”
Her talent in the Miss America competition is comedic dialogue.
A new Miss America will be crowned on Saturday. The final night of competition and crowning will be broadcast live on the ABC television network.
Fox’s Carlson was crowned Miss America in 1989.
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