Hi,
My name is Charlie, and I am an A level student currently studying psychology, PE and politics. My biggest interests are sport, especially rugby, musicals, Harry Potter, LEGO and music. I can make delicious brownies and cakes, I have an amazing girlfriend, family and friends, and a very cute dog called Ronnie. I want to study psychology and help people. Oh, and I’m also autistic.

For many years, I was reduced to just that. Autistic. Like it is such a bad thing.

People seemed to forget that I was a real person. For teenagers, I turned into a spectacle, a freak show, as if I was made for them to scream in my face so they could watch my meltdown as if it was the funniest thing in the world. People who I had never seen before joined in. For most adults, I was a good student until I became difficult, couldn’t go to lessons and was deemed too much work. They didn’t understand, and I’ll never know if they even tried to. I remember the day I was told they couldn’t help me anymore, and that I would likely fail my GCSEs.

I sat and cried for hours, believing them, wishing that I could just be the normal they wanted me to be. People didn’t know me for my intelligence, or my passions, or my achievements. They knew me because I was autistic. And that apparently made me difficult. It felt like nobody saw me.

Unfortunately, this is the same story for so many autistic people out there. The world feels as though it is set up for us to fail, the system too full and people too busy to do anything about it.

Despite all of this, I didn’t fail a single GCSE. I actually achieved 999998877, which for anyone who doesn’t know is almost all A*s. I am now thriving in college and doing better than I could have imagined. I have plans and finally believe that I can achieve them. It has taken time and never has it been straightforward, but I am proud of who I am. And I want to show the people who failed me that I am going to be more than they ever thought.

I did say earlier that most adults gave up. The first person who ever properly listened to me and actually tried to understand made a huge impact on my life. She listened to me and encouraged me to get the help that I needed and actually feel like I deserved it. I gained the confidence to advocate for myself. She also told me that everyone deserves to have someone in their corner. Now I want to be that person for anyone else in a similar position.

I look back and am angry at the mistreatment that I received and angrier that so many more are going through that. But if you take anything from reading this, I want you to know that you can get where you want to be. There is a place for you in this world, and you will find your purpose, even when it feels impossible. All the parts that you have been made to believe are bad or weird are perfectly okay. Yes, sometimes it takes a fight, but I want you to never give up fighting, and I won’t either. I see you.

I will finish on one of my favourite quotes:
“Wear the damn defenders”
It reminds me not to be ashamed when I need help, and that you don’t have to hide parts of yourself for the comfort of others. I can be my true, authentic self. And so can you.