Arriving at the Conference
On Saturday 16th August I went to the Autistic Mental Health Conference 2025, a local conference run by autistic people. It was my first time ever going to a conference, and honestly it was awesome.
Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt like you belonged? That’s exactly how it felt for me.
Hearing From Autistic Researchers
I got to meet and listen to the most incredible autistic researchers who spoke openly about their own experiences of autism, both personally and professionally. They shared the ways the system has harmed them and continues to harm so many of us. Throughout the day, different topics came up, monotropism, masking, burnout, and special educational needs in schools.
One researcher mentioned a statistic that hit me hard. There are around four hundred thousand children in England waiting for an autism diagnosis. Four hundred thousand. How would you feel if you were the last on that list? I can’t imagine how terrifying that must be for families today.
Reflecting on Systemic Neglect
Being labelled as a neurodivergent seems to make us more exposed to neglect by the system, the same system that is supposed to help us. Meanwhile that neglect can affect the whole trajectory of our lives.
Why is this still the reality? What would need to change for the system to truly support autistic people, instead of letting us fall through the cracks?
The Power Imbalance in Psychiatry
Another researcher spoke about the psychiatric system and the power imbalance that sits right at the heart of it. It’s like the system moves between two extremes: either you’re denied any real support, or once things get bad enough, it becomes overly restrictive and takes your freedom away. Autistic people are so often ignored until we reach crisis point, and only then does everyone start to panic.
By that stage, what we need is understanding, not control. How can a system designed to help end up causing so much harm? Psychiatrists also often try to separate autism from our identity, as if they know better than we do how we feel or what we experience. Hearing that reflected back by someone else made something in me settle: like, yes, this is real, and it’s happening to so many of us.
A Meaningful Connection and a Surprise Invitation
During the break I had a chat with one of the autistic campaigners who helped organise the event, and to organise the event, and to my surprise, I’ve now been asked to speak at their next conference. That moment honestly meant so much to me.
Have you ever had someone recognise your experience in a way that made you feel truly seen? That’s exactly how I felt in that moment.
Feeling Seen, Connected, and Understood
Going to events like this, being in a room full of people who get it, who have lived through similar struggles and who want to change things, that’s what keeps me going. I left feeling lighter, like a weight had been lifted. There were so many moments where I realised, I’m not alone. It’s not just me. Other people live this too.
What would it feel like if more spaces existed where autistic people would come together like this? There was something healing about being in a room where connection and understanding were the norm, not the exception.
Why Autistic-Led Spaces Matter
Conferences like this aren’t just events. They’re spaces where we can build our own platforms, find our collective voice, and challenge the injustice we live through. They remind me why research and knowledge need to be shaped by lived experience, led by us, with us, not done to us.
What if the world listened to us more, instead of to the system that often fails us? How might that improve the the lives of autistic and neurodivergent people?
Autism-Lens 
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