Meet Matthew, our keynote speaker at this year's Terry Arnold Memorial Lecture. After being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 4, Matthew has overcome many obstacles and would like to share his story...
About Me: I graduated with a Master's degree in International Criminal Law and Security in 2010 after graduating with a Upper Class 2:1 Joint Honours degree in Law and Criminology at the University of Northampton. I have lived in Corby all my life, although I did spend some time in New Zealand in December 2015.
Since 2013, I've been working as a civil servant in a nearby city, having climbed the career ladder in the process. I commenced my career in the civil service with a data entry job, and since last year I have been involved in the areas of business governance and business assurance after being promoted to the grade of Executive Officer.
My Hobbies: My hobbies are weightlifting, cooking, reading and playing guitar and bass. In March this year, I took up archery and have participated in a handful of competitions. I am currently shooting arrows at a distance of 50 yards! Life as an Autistic Adult: Having autism is like crash landing on another planet, and you are struggling to make sense of the environment and the inhabitants you have encountered. You are then having to learn the way of life of the inhabitants and their social institutions, which becomes rather tricky!
When your mind is programmed to be literal and you cannot read facial expressions, this of course can make social interactions difficult. My social circle is small, but it is occupied by very good friends who I have known for many years. In addition, I have had numerous romantic relationships and they all have been short term.
The positives of Autism: Autism does, however, have its benefits. It has provided me a photographic memory which enables me to memorise dozens of pages in textbooks when revising and preparing for exams. I once memorised a whole chapter which was 26 pages long! My brain acts like a sponge that absorbs information which is handy when watching game shows on TV. My late grandmother tried to get me on The Weakest Link on occasions when I was younger! My favourite thing about autism is that it enables me to think outside the box and to identify patterns when analysing data at work. This has been advantageous when implementing more efficient processes in my office, especially when exploring risk assessment and stakeholder engagement. I can just visualise what the final product can look like similar to what Temple Grandin can do!
My Story: I would like my story to be seen as inspiring as I have overcome a lot of challenges in my life. I would like it to serve as an example of autism being a blessing and not a curse. My story also features instances of overcoming adversity which some people can relate to. No matter what your disability or condition is, you can still have a purpose and make a difference, and contribute to society.
My Advice: (for autistic youngsters and adults and also their families and carers)
Don't give up and don't be too hard on yourself. No one is perfect. Just keep pushing and try and get out of your comfort zone. You have to experience discomfort before you can achieve goals. Life is about learning and having experiences, and from having those experiences, you can learn so much more!
If someone says that your autistic child won't amount to anything, prove them wrong! Not only will you reap the benefits, but so will they!
Meet Matthew and hear his story at this year’s Terry Arnold Memorial Lecture. Book your tickets at: https://tamlecture2022.eventbrite.co.uk/
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