In Episode 5, Chris and Kiran talk with Carly Jones MBE, an autistic mother of two autistic girls, autism advocate and campaigner whom, since 2008, has been campaigning for greater acceptance, equality of diagnosis, education and safeguarding of autism women, girls and their families. We talk about her personal story including homelessness and some of the work she does to support the autism community, camouflaging among autistic girls/women (and boys/men), the impact this has upon diagnosis and the need for qualitative approaches to diagnosis, the language and conceptualisations associated with special interests, mental health, and issues associated around the safeguarding of vulnerable autistic women.
Carly has produced a wide range of impactful resources including her free online course, 'Bodies Boundaries Abuse and Reporting It' (linked below), many successful blogs and articles some of which have been published in the national press. Carly also does many national and international events aimed at creating positive impact both in terms of positive social attitudinal change and also steering government policy. She also mentors and personally supports families, works on research advisory panels and much more. All of this led Carly receiving an MBE for all of her work in May last year.
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Episode timeline:
0 - 2:37 - Intro
2:38 - 8:32 - Carly's story
8:33 - 10:17 - Homelessness and autism
10:18 - 15:35 - Camouflaging among autistic women
15:36 - 26:31 - Challenges with the diagnosis of autistic women including current screening tools
26:32 - 28:43 - Carly's mentoring and support work
28:44 - 36:05 - What do parents of autistic girls need to know, and language and conceptions of special interests (vs obsessions vs experts)
36:06 - 41:22 - Parental mental health
41:23 - 50:40 - Safeguarding
50:41 - 1:00:53 - Advice for autistic people struggling with poor mental health
Carly's website: http://britishautismadvocate.simpl.com/
Carly's twitter: https://twitter.com/CarlyJonesMBE
Carly's film, Epidemic of Knowledge: https://www.reelhouse.org/olley/epidemic-of-knowledge
Carly's YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC58oNplP6pFoBS7wuL3bNUg
Carly's free online safeguarding course 'Boundaries , Bodies, Abuse and Reporting it for Autistic Girls' - https://www.openlearning.com/courses/boundaries-bodies-abuse-and-reporting-it-for-autistic-girls-