autistic
-
Behind the Mask: Speaking at the Autistic Mental Health Conference 2026
What if looking like you’re coping doesn’t mean you are? On Saturday 15th August 2026, I had the opportunity to speak at the Autistic Mental Health Conference, delivering my presentation Survival on the Surface: Masking, Misunderstanding and Mental Health in Autism. I’ve had a lifetime of masking, so this was a subject that felt very… Read more
-
Autism Is Not a Mental Illness: So Why Are We Treated As If It Is?
A History of Misunderstanding Autism has been wrongly viewed through the lens of mental illness. Historically, autistic people have been detained under the Mental Health Act. Yet autism is not a mental illness. It cannot be medicated or “treated away”. Autism is a different neurotype. A unique way of feeling, thinking, and processing the world… Read more
-
A Room Full of People Who Get It: My Day at the Autistic Mental Health Conference
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… Read more
-
From Powerless to Powerful: My Journey from Hospital Detention to the Houses of Parliament
Speaking Out for the First Time On Tuesday 29th April 2025, I spoke infront of the Houses of Parliament in relation to autistic people and those with learning disabilities being detained in hospitals. I sang a song about my hospital experience as part of the rally, and I delivered a speech to the Department of… Read more