Aspergers In Society - The Hidden Mental Health Crisis (Autism Documentary)

Thomas Henley is a 23-year-old Biomedical Sciences honors graduate from the University of Manchester, an autistic Commonwealth Gold Medalist in Taekwondo, and a self-taught online content creator on YouTube and Anchor.

In this documentary, Thomas explores the different views and experiences of people diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and those involved with them. From the decorated Taekwondo instructor, to an experienced special needs expert, to the autistic charity co-founder of Salford autism. Thomas intends to identify the reasons for the outstanding statistics on mental health in autistics, and find some suitable answers that may help in combatting this problem in the future.

This film is a final year science communication project, created as part of a Biomedical Sciences degree from the University Of Manchester. All individuals in the video have either given signed consent to be apart of this film or have been blurred to protect their privacy. Those consenting individuals have also signed a video release form to allow the sharing of this film on YouTube and various other social media platforms.

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In the past few decades, there have been many changes to the fabric of our society that would quite honestly blow the minds of our predecessors. Medicine, psychology, technology and social change, have all been seen to by the dramatic and revolutionary minds of our time.

Autism; once thought to be a terrible affliction of the mind, has branched off into many specific and very different classifications. Asperger's Syndrome, a so-called 'high functioning' diagnosis, has been refined and redefined over the years... but what do autistic people actually feel about the crossover between the medical textbooks and their real-life experiences?

We have a problem. The statistics around the mental health and quality of life experienced by individuals with autism are severely underappreciated. There is a wealth of information and statistical analyses out there that show just how tragic a diagnosis of autism can actually be... but don't be fooled, this is may not be the result of inherent differences in biology and neurocircuitry.

The word 'autism' comes with many prejudgements and expectations that are almost automatically retrieved from our brains when we hear it. Disabled, strange, vulnerable, the weird kid; these are all common things that many people would associate with the condition. Many people on the autistic spectrum do not believe they are disabled, many would never choose to be any other way. Autism is generally seen to be a list of sensory, behavioral and social difficulties, but it is also associated with a whole host of intellectual gifts, positive personality traits, and talents.

Bullying, alienation, severe mental health disorders, unemployment, lack of support, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and acts.
These may just be simple words on a page, but one only has to do a quick internet search to find evidence for just a few of these unpleasant realities. The terrible truth is that assuming autism is 'BAD' thing, may be hiding the very real issues that lie below the surface. These issues lay silently in the dark, afflicting thousands of individuals both young and old without any discrimination, but the label.

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♫ THOUGHTY AUTI PODCAST Get it on:

[ThomasHenley]

Thank you so much for everyone who tuned in to the Live Stream, I’m so grateful to have such supportive people around me... it’s made all the hardships, stress and effort worth it and I appreciate it so much! 🤩

You may have realised that I’ve released some ‘Behind The Scenes’ content with Esme Hayes... we’ve actually done a joint blog post over on the documentary website if you want to check it out! ✍️


I’m going to be holding a Q&A either tonight or tomorrow over on Instagram, so make sure to listen out for more updates over on the Aspergers Growth account! 🎥

[DGDDice]

I think the most frustrating thing for me when it comes to having aspergers is that my little brother who has severe autism. you can easily tell he has it and society gives him the support he needs because there's no dispute he's on the spectrum but for me unless I outright told someone of my diagnosis you wouldn't know I had it. especially with my parents they sometimes forget I have aspergers and think I'm being a brat when I experience a sensory overload compared to my brother who would have their full understanding and sympathy. i don't know if I'm making much sense where I'm not too great at communicating my thoughts too well but that's definatley one of the things I've found hard with aspergers that people think I have it easier than my brother just because I'm not as far on the spectrum as him.

[allenspearing]

I have Asperger's Syndrome. I all I want is to be by myself. I don't like to be with other people

[maulanwong]

I have aspergers and whenever I’m at a place with a lot of people I get overstimulated and close my eyes and covers my ears. Autism is too much for lots of people to handle sometimes

[cherylyoke]

What I’m rigid about, gives me some comfort and reassurance in what I see as a very chaotic world. Because I see, hear, and feel so many things, it is calming to just get hyper focused on something and tune out the rest of the world.

[mariekatherine]

I got diagnosed at age 60 with asd, in the US, Aitism Spectrum Disorder. I’ve was always considered socially weird and stuck up because I got excellent grades. Many people in school and work think I’m stuck up. I’m not stuck up. I hate changes in routine and get very anxious over things normies don’t give a thought. In grammar school kids made fun of me because I was afraid to answer the phone. I didn’t like using it, either. I usually played by myself at recess. I didn’t understand the point of games like kickball, or four square. I’ve had no success at forming long term relationships outside of my immediate family. I’ve never feel like I fit in, and that’s because I don’t fit in.

[deborah]

I've always been drawn to people with autism. I think it's the lack of needing to put on a front, and being able to be direct without the worry of it being interpreted for anything other than what it is. It's refreshing and society could do with being a little more autistic in that sense!
I've tried to incorporate some lessons I've learned from this into my own life.. e.g. I consciously will not act on the cues and hints people give me that they are annoyed about something I'm doing... if they won't say it to my face then they will have to suffer through it, because I want them to be able to tell me, and if it was really that big a problem they should learn to speak up!

[gdogg]

Diagnosed at 36 after a life time of suffering. Waiting to be assessed for ADHD too. Ex drug addict and heavy drinker. Obsessive anxiety and depression from childhood. IQ of 137 aged 7. But stupid about the most basic things.

I’ve got better at socialising with age to the point that I can appear normal for extended periods. Eye contact is still difficult if I forget.

I find often myself feeling like I have nothing in common with others though. I do live a rigid lifestyle, but mainly because I find thinking of other stuff to do gives me a headache, rather than being unable to change when I have to…

[Westly.]

I am 39 and autistic I know these difficulties well, but I have embraced being myself now, not hiding or pretending to meet others expectations anymore. I am me and society needs to understand I will not change to conform to what they want, so my theory is why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary. I like who I am, if someone said there was a cure for autism I would refuse it because it would mean cancelling out me. Yeah I had found life a struggle when I didn’t know I was autistic but it just makes so much sense now and I have embraced my good qualities and passions in life, I just hope others can finally see the real me and be kind and supportive.

[chantelcuddemi]

As a neurotypical, I find this documentary very informative!

[danielwilliamson]

I have Asperger syndrome. I've struggled to control all these years. It frustrates me and it make my life difficult. Sometimes I wish I never had it.

[antinatalist]

No matter how much I have observed others and tried to copy them, I have always been rejected by neurotypicals: bullied in school, uni and the neighbourhood, criticised by teachers and breeders for not being accepted by peers- 'you're not this enough, you're not that enough, you're too this, you're too that aka you're not neurotypical enough'. Have been prevented from taking up university offers and jobs, by occupational health physicians. No matter how hard I work and how good I am at jobs, I get criticised for not being good at boring, pointless small talk in the staffroom, struggling to adapt to last minute changes and coming across as aloof. Not being able to predict the response of neurotypical people is very anxiety inducing. If only more neurotypicals were as tolerant of difference as Peter, society might not be so disabling.

[lizichell]

Why do I keep watching documentaries that give me more anxiety

[rowenawilson]

This is really interesting. I have Asperger's. But I don't think it bothers me only in social situations and I don't have many friends. I find it quite lonely at times.

[riverdonoghue]

The taekwondo coach seems very open minded and really forward thinking. We need more people like him.

[roberttornay]

Nice job! We need more of these, where our voices are heard and not just the NT-s narratives. ( please adjust the settings so adding subtitle/translation will be possible ) Thanks again for the work you put in to make this video. ( A young at heart Aspie in his 50's)

[kayjay-kreations]

I fly so far under the radar I sometimes just want to "go away"

[johnson]

I have Aspergers and it has messed up my life sometimes. I could not hold a job, for long. I was considered too weird. I was shunned in school while growing up. Wasn't so bad in High School though it was there as well. I enlisted in the Navy in my later twenties, and it was a miracle that I was able to get through my enlistment. I was finally diagnosied in 2004 at the VA hospital in Reno Nevada. If the Navy had known I would not have been allowed to enlist. The AMA didn't even acknowledge the condition until 1994. All I can say, I gave life my best shot, and I can live with that. Maybe in time they will be able to help others with this condition live better lives. I hope so.

[sincerely.amirah]

Thank you so much for making this. We need more awareness about Autism and Aspergers.

[kelliecroft]

I think what Tom has done here is amazing, it opens door to discuss further issues in communities for those on the spectrum not receiving inclusion or support that they are entitled too, this impacts on the Mental Health of people that do not perhaps have a big enough voice, its vital to advocate for minority groups, highlight the issues and tackle them head on, by creating a documentary such as this, which is honest and shows exactly how people living this feels, opens question and discussion in communities, are we flexible enough, ? are we kind enough?are we aware enough? one thing i have learned as an Autism Parent myself is, people will sit very comfortably in a belief over truth, if that truth makes them uncomfortable, it boils down to equality and fair treatment .
I feel the documentary was carefully put together, it was sensitive, it was honest, it gives a good insight into lives of people living with Aspergers the stereotypes they face and gives a true picture of the impact on the Mental Health of people living in the community with little to no support, who require the world to be more flexible and kinder, and makes you think about how small those changes would need to be to start the ball rolling, and how big the impact would be .
It would be great to see more documentaries such as this with a big impact to make people stop and think to encourage the change that is needed .
well done Tom
kellie Barker (director at Born Anxious) and Autism Parent