Given your skills, I would recommend a startup or a consultancy (anything self-employed). This way you shield yourself from having to worry about disclosing your past to others, worrying about background checks, or the self-taught part (which should be irrelevant but oh well). Plus you grow in whatever direction you wish.

If you want the job route then you need to apply to as many things as possible and find a story version that wont scare people off. Don't lie, just give them a well packaged insight into what happened in the past. You also have humility which is a great start.

Good luck!