Have you ever been told you can’t do something because of ‘who’ you are? What about because of ‘how’ you are? It’s annoying, right? But now imagine that’s all you ever heard until one day you were told that those people: the ones who had put the brakes on your ambitions, well, they’re just people and people can be wrong… In fact, as it turns out people are often wrong.

‘Autistic & Unapologetic’ is a blog, a lifestyle, and with some luck ,a community, founded by one lad with 23 years of experience of living the high life on the Autistic spectrum (that’s me). Dedicated to finding the positive in every diagnosis, through personal experiences and all round mind waffle*, I aim to help better the average understanding of this often misunderstood condition.

First things first though, this blog isn’t a place for a scientific breakdown of what makes the autistic mind tick (as much as I like to think it is). So, if you came here looking for that, I would advise leaving now… Still here? Great! As I was saying, this blog isn’t a complex take on the make up of the autistic brain, and I can’t promise it will be all that serious either. As at the heart of Autistic & Unapologetic, I aim to offer a personal insight into how being diagnosed with autism doesn’t have to rule (or god forbid) ruin a life.

Most of the content you will find on this site will be personal, opinionated and at times wrong (but hey, I said ‘people are often wrong’, and I am no exception). The site is likely to include discussions around anything and everything that autism can affect (which pretty much is ‘anything and everything’).

Through Understanding, Embracing and Entertaining, I know I can change the average idea of what it means to be autistic.  But if that isn’t your thing, well, I guess I also review stuff from time to time too.

So here’s the thing, unlike my opening statement, I was never outright told I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do, I was just ‘unlikely’ to do them. Going to university, learning to drive, getting a job. Hell, even having a relationship was supposedly beyond my predetermined potential. And for a time, I believed and just accepted that. After all I enjoyed my routines, so why would I want to try these foreign experiences?

The answer was simple: it was because I did want those experiences. I did want to go to university and I did want to drive, and with a lot of determination and a lot more help, I went out there and found I could.

I’m lucky that I had a lot of support from family and friends, who saw there was more to me than just the label doctors had given me. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get me where I am today, and I know not everyone is as fortunate to have the same amount of support as I did.

The reason i’m telling you this, is because Autistic & Unapologetic is my way of saying thank you to these people. As just like they didn’t quit on me, I won’t quit on the goals of this site until everyone can reach a similar level of support to what I had.

I’ve denied my condition, I’ve defied my condition and now I’m defining my condition, but I can’t do it on my own. Autistic & Unapologetic may be one boy’s dream for the moment, but with a lot of work (and a lot of luck) I know it can be a shared realisation for me and my community.

So join me in the Autistic & Unapologetic Facebook page, on Twitter @AutismRevised or just in the comment section during my weekly posts to the site and together let’s shine a new light on autism.

*Waffle – Verb: To speak or write at length in a vague or trivial manner:

‘he waffled on about his problems’