About Us - Autism and I

Autism and I? The word autism is understood to stem from the Greek word auto or “self” and just like Greek mythology the stories around autism create a picture of a people who sit not just outside the world of 'us' the 'neurotypicals' but individuals who are all about 'me' & ' I. '   The team at Enhance have had the opportunity to live, and learn alongside hundreds of people with autism and unsurprisingly, not one person wanted to be alone. Many people we support have struggled to navigate groups and how to share space with other but every individual we have met sought out companionship and belonging. Perhaps it is the idea of how we belong that may need some thought?

Yet, it remains true by the definitions of autism that people must share a group of characteristics.  Autism is not a choice or a set of learned characteristics – it is a real difference in the way a person engages, learns and interacts with people and the world around them.   There is a common saying withing the autistic community, 'once you have met one person with autism - you have met just one person'. We are all individuals and uniquely shaped by our history. 

Greta Thunberg is a young woman with autism who described it as her ‘super power’. How many people could start a one-person protest that became a protest across the world – that then spoke at the United Nations aged 16. If you have lived, worked or shared a world with a person with autism then likely you will understand the determination and focus a person can have. This can be a great attribute.   

But…      

Importantly Greta is the first to talk about her feeling of isolation and sadness as a young child – a feeling she didn’t belong. In our role we always consider how our support acts to help people feel less alone and more engaged in the world around them. This goes beyond changing our emotional response and extends to the way we act to understand and provide the support to facilitate people on their personal journey.      

It's no surprise that those of us who have, live or work with autism have struggled to understand exactly what it means to be 'autistic'. During the lifetime of the founding Director many ideas have changed whilst some core themes have remained.      

The founding Director describes his personal experience-   

 "Although I had been around people with autism most of my life it wasn't until I was 21 trying to run a summer scheme for kids on the spectrum of autism that I realised I knew nothing about autism - that kick started my interest. Luckily for me I show an obsessional focus on one subject matter to the exclusion of others! 

My chosen subject was autism. An area that at times consumed me and one I hope to keep learning within.  My mother aged 78 is still working daily supporting autistic people and my son has worked alongside me for several years.   

I don't have autism but I get the passion, focus and commitment many people I know who have autism have shown. Our aim as a service is that we reflect this passion and commitment in our own support."     

Paul Crowther  Founding Director