HOMELESS AUTISM ADULT TEACH HIMSELF HOW TO BE A DANCER

Throughout his 22 years, dancer Kaner Scott (@kanerflex) has seen his share of hardship — but time and again he has chosen to learn
from it. When he was 4, Kaner was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome; at age 15 he was re-diagnosed with autism. That same year, he became homeless. “That changed everything for me,” says Kaner. “If that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

By the time he was 16, Kaner was off the streets and watching online videos to teach himself how to dance — particularly flexing, a style characterized by rhythmic, ultra-flexible contortions. Fast-forward to today, and Kaner is a professional dancer, choreographer and model. “Dance has taught me how to express myself, how to take negative energy and channel it into something positive,” he says. Kaner sees his autism in a positive light as well: “I look at it as something special, as an ability. I use it as a tool to make me ascend to a higher platform.”