Meet my friend Thomas Henley of Aspergers Growth and host of the amazing podcast Thoughty Auti.  He is a Biomedical Scientist AND 2x Taekwondo National Champion with a host of international awards in the sport.  Thomas advocates in a way that connects to my heart especially regarding Alexithymia.  He can be found on YouTube | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Join me tomorrow, April 7th on the Mind Your Autistic Brain Talk Show for my conversation with Thomas on either,  Podcast  or YouTube 

Meet Thomas…

Social Autie: What is your specialty or focus area of Autism Advocacy?

Thomas: My passion is helping other autistic people learn more about themselves, providing a role model for self-improvement, communicating the autistic experience to neurotypical individuals & providing a platform to bring autistic individuals, parents & experts together to pursue a joint cause.

My focus tends to be around the low quality of life statistics for autistic people - looking at 4 key areas:

Education - Widespread autism/neurodiversity education in primary/high school, enforcement of reasonable adjustments, training courses for teachers including autistic experts by experience, better education for parents of non-autistic students.

Workplaces - Better training for managers, greater inclusion (not just diversity), enforced anti-bullying/isolation policies, more research on the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace, improved/longer starting process.

Mental Health - More research into comorbidities and mental health support tools for autistic people, more tailored/non-private psychotherapy for autistic people.

Media/Film/TV - Rewriting the idea of the stereotypical ‘Autistic look’ being the norm, more autistic people talking about autistic issues on mainstream media, better coverage of neurodiversity & Quality of life statistics.

Social Autie: Why did you begin advocating for yourself and others?  What makes this personal to you and Your Big Why? 

Thomas:  I first began advocating for myself. I was severely depressed, anxious, suffering from a number of different disorders like Bulimia and various dissociative conditions. 

My YouTube channel was a platform to share my experiences in the start, but over time it’s become more about helping and advocating for others. My desire to help others isn’t just a motive, it’s what keeps me fighting each day my mental health declines, it’s what encourages me to take care of myself and stick around. A way out isn’t something I’m looking for now, because that meaning and purpose is still there despite my mood or circumstances.

Social Autie: What is/are the top tip(s) or insight(s) you have discovered for advocating for a) others and b) yourself?

Thomas:  I’d say that if you are advocating for yourself, the most useful piece of advice is to remember that you are your own person and you have the right to use whatever language you see fit for yourself. It’s important to stay strong, but willing to change/improve yourself for the better. Learn more and highlight the changes you want to see for your life... sometimes it’s about enforcing boundaries, helping others understand, knowing what’s good or bad for you, and setting out to mold your life the way you want it.

When advocating for others, it’s important to know language can be a hard sticking point for most. Despite our motives, desires for change and desires to share our story... the internet can be a brutal place for those who don’t understand the changes in language (I’m not saying follow others, but definitely be aware of them and make your own mind up!)

I’d put a large emphasis on finding out what medium is best for you, whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, podcasting or being a really good interviewee. Getting really good at these can help amplify your voice and message, helping you to make the difference you want to see. 

Always stay focused on others in your community, and provide a platform of discussion rather than a forum of hate/bullying. Advocating for others is a tough job due to the inherent responsibility that comes with it. You should always listen to others in the community and help amplify their own experiences and beliefs - it’s advocating for others, not your ego!