Life With Autism | Autism Documentary

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A coming-of-age documentary of Autistic adult Thomas Henley, from the highs of athletic success to the lows of discrimination, mental illness, and a life-changing accident
When was Thomas Henley diagnosed Autistic? Why Is School So Challenging for Autistic Children? What does Autism look like in childhood?
This is a full dive into Thomas Henley's life with Autism, from childhood Autism diagnosis to mental illness in adolescence and adulthood. Thomas was an accomplished Taekwondo athlete who dealt with many incidents of bullying as a teen, channeling his pain through life into pursuits of glory.
Nurtured and supported by his parents and close friend, Thomas moved away from home to pursue University but quickly found himself in deep despair and isolation. Leaving Taekwondo behind due to ableist discrimination, he created his RU-vid channel during his time at University to share his experiences with Autism with the world.
Traveling abroad to study mosquitoes in Thailand, he learned more about himself and communication with non-autistic individuals. Diving into Philosophy and writing endlessly about his thoughts, observations, and experiences... he found new meaning through his exploration into positive Nihilism, Autistic unmasking, and emotional development.
After a tragic motorbike crash in Thailand, he endured a plethora of painful operations without the use of suitable anesthetic, something which led him to knee ligament replacement surgery later in life and a lengthy year of intensive physiotherapy.
Moving back to England with a wealth of new wisdom and insights, he started writing blogs on his Instagram page, created his Autism podcast 'Thoughty Auti - The Autism Podcast', filmed the 'Aspergers In Society' documentary, and started producing RU-vid videos around personal development for Autistic adults.
Moving into adulthood he started working as a Special Needs Teaching Assistant whilst working closely with Anna Kennedy OBE as an ambassador for her charity, speaking at events like The Autism Show, and modeling for Harvey Price's Born Anxious clothing line.
Through working for a social inclusion charity later in life, talking to experts on his podcast, his teaching experience, insight into the Autistic community, his own experience... Thomas seeks to further enforce his meaning to life by helping other Autistic people and their loved ones through his online work.
Subscribe to the channel to get notified when I next go live - / thomashen. .
My Socials/Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...
Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - dbud.io/bntvs5
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:51 Autism In Childhood
15:13 Getting An Autism Diagnosis
20:14 Autism In School
32:35 Developing Mental Illness
41:37 Bullying And Manipulation
45:31 Becoming A Champion
53:11 Autism At University
59:09 Living In Thailand
01:02:34 Philosophy and Growth
01:09:23 The Bike Crash
01:12:37 Podcasting and Film
01:15:41 Mental Illness In Adulthood
01:18:09 Autism Employment
01:20:43 My Life In Conclusion
◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️
WHAT DO I OFFER?
♾️ Channel Memberships with special perks!
🏆 1:1 Talk To Thomas sessions for Autistic adults & partners
💻 Workplace Training Sessions
🗣️ Public Speaking For Events
📸 Neurodiverse Modeling (Contact for details)
📧 CONTACT: www.thomashenley.co.uk 📧
◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️
FOLLOW MY SOCIALS ♥:
Instagram - @thomashenleyuk
TikTok - @thomashenleyuk
Facebook - Thomas Henley
Twitter - @thomashenleyuk
Linkedin - Thomas Henley
All my links: linktr.ee/thomashenleyuk

Опубликовано:

9 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 90

@AndrewUtz3 5 месяцев назад

Being outwardly calm as a clam, yet internally a raging storm…that’s very relatable. That was me most of the time especially when younger. Taekwondo sounds like a great way to release the energy

@trerio6815 5 месяцев назад

Wow, definitely relatable...still Lol to keep from crying.

@leilap2495 5 месяцев назад

Yes, I have been like this since elementary school. Unless I was shaking from the nerves, it wasn’t so obvious. In hindsight, I would say I was depressed and anxious by age 6 or 7, but going back in time, I was quite anxious at age 4 and 5.

@AndrewUtz3 5 месяцев назад

@ThomasHenley is it because we express emotions differently than NT folks that how we are feeling often goes unnoticed?

@srldwg 4 месяца назад

@@AndrewUtz3I would say yes. I feel like that is something that society needs to recognize.

@jodimeadeblue 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for allowing us into your very personal space and seeing the deeper depths of what it means to be Thomas. It validates my experiences with mental health, ADHD and autism. It’s frustrating when “typicals”reply to my struggles as, “I’m not trying hard enough”, “i’m lazy”, and “everybody feels that way”. So, it’s comforting to hear your story and relate to it, knowing there are others out there who could sympathize with my experiences. Very tired of coworkers not realizing the extent of my struggles and the beauty of my mind.

@BilliesCraftRoom 3 месяца назад

So need a reminder to hydrate 👍 fellow autistic and adhder

@REDSKIs_righteous_readings 4 месяца назад

Thomas can I just say I think Ur the most amazing and brilliantly smart human being I've ever met in my 40 years of life, I'm a mother to a autistic son he's 12 at the moment he's completely non verbal and is a great natured boy, so many things U articulated In the most clearest of forms alot of things that resonated to me as a mother and would with my son, I CANNOT thank U enough I'm so glad I found your channel ❣️ bless U for being U n sharing your truth and story U r the most beautiful human being thank you ❤️🙏

@shannonn9723 4 месяца назад

My autistic son is 8 and he has really high anxiety in public and especially at school. I’m worried it will only get worse. Thank you tor sharing, I personally prefer to hear from young autistic adults as apposed to the “experts”. The info you are sharing is so appreciated.

@EdmundsJourney 2 месяца назад

A weighted blanket can help and some good earbuds. Have a good day

@shannonn9723 Месяц назад

@@EdmundsJourney thanks! We just got him earbuds this weekend and I will try the weighted blanket also. Thanks for the tips!

@HeliNoir 5 месяцев назад

Start of the video, I was sipping on my coffee. Does that count as hydration? haha But seriously, your story is very relatable. Also, ADORABLE BABY!

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

Totally! The water content of coffee outweighs the dehydrating effect of the caffeine. Thanks so much, and I know right I almost forget that it’s me 😂

@MrAndywills 5 месяцев назад

Kudos to your parents, dealing with your diagnosis as a matter of fact without all the wailing and "my baby's broken".

@garywb1642 5 месяцев назад

You are an admirable man, doing admirable work. Thank you.

@barbarasunday3514 Месяц назад

for 21 years we went through a lot of the challenges never knowing my daughter was masking Aspergers, hypersensory. Life was a constant fight for her socially, She a brilliant learner but she could not express that her world is different from mine. Diagnosis for us opened her world and gave us ways to communicate much more effectively. She's also learning to navigate around her social limits and is figuring out the path to independence

@timmo2235 3 месяца назад

Combat sports are a great one man I’ve been boxing since March last year and I wish I had started years ago it’s so good for you in every way, man you have accomplished so much it’s giving me mad inspiration

@beckyguthrie4787 3 месяца назад

Your story is so compelling and at the same time heart wrenching. You have accomplished so much in your life and your achievements in martial arts, body building and academics really inspire me. You have also endured so many hardships. Your parents are so amazing too. It’s so heartwarming to hear their voices in the old video clips. I can hear how much they love you and are so supportive and encouraging with their words and expressions. I am so sad that you have been going through the mental health challenges that you have. I can really relate to some of your struggles especially the feeling that you’re outside looking at a performance and trying to figure it out. This was my experience at about the same time in my life, at about 11 or 12 all of the other kids seemed to know what to do in more complex social situations and I didn’t . I remember awkwardly eating my lunch alone because I didn’t know how to find my people. Really enjoying your content. Keep it up!

@AWSMcube 5 месяцев назад

19:04 I relate to this a lot, I had the same issue with ADHD. When I first tried to get a 504 or IEP around age 14, the school admin was confused because I was always an overachiever and got good grades. "Ryan? ADHD? What are you talking about? Look at his grades!" but they never saw the hours and hours every night I spent at home trying to finish my work. Thank you for this video, it was really insightful

@darkmoondoll 5 месяцев назад

I truly enjoyed your story. I could relate to a lot of what you went through. Thank you for sharing❤

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

❤️❤️❤️

@joe_joe_joe_ 4 месяца назад

So much of your story could be mine. I was diagnosed autistic a month ago and I'm finding so much information on your channel along with Orion Kelly's. You're doing a great job and you are a fantastic person and content creator.

@steveneardley7541 5 месяцев назад

When I got "left behind" socially in late junior high, I became an armchair anthropologist. I even made friends with some people who I considered quintessentially "normal"--just to try to figure out what made them tick (I never did). I had a best friend, born around the same time as me, no doubt also autistic. We got into absurdism--Beckett, Ionesco--and wrote absurdist plays together. I wasn't bullied, but considered myself so different from others that I sort of identified as an ET, as did my friend. My license plate for years was KLAATU--the alien in The Day the Earth Stood Still. I had periodic shutdowns, but never meltdowns. I also struggled with panic attacks, but once I eliminated milk and gluten from my diet I've never had another panic attack and was able to get off of the anti-anxiety meds--which never worked anyway. Thanks a lot for your honesty. You come to your work from a very good place.

@EdmundsJourney 2 месяца назад

I was diagnosed at 28 :/ what a ride. Anyways thank you for sharing and the effort.

@Speffman 5 месяцев назад

So I’ve just started the process to get a diagnosis. I’m 33, I’ve had a lot of difficulties throughout my life and I believe that if I was from an area further south when I was younger, I would have been screened for autism. I came from a small village in a northern part of mainland Scotland. Things are slow to change in that area for a variety of reasons. I was take to a speech therapist as a child because I spoke so in frequently and I had a sensitivity to loud noises, clothes like jeans, wooly jumpers and tags. “Fussy” eater. I can’t stand bitter foods and some textures. Fidget, incessant biting of nails, bouncing legs etc. Then there’s all of the social problems. I’d like to say that there is so much of your past that is so closely similar to mine, experiences and thoughts that I’ve found it reassuring. I’ve been doubting myself a lot lately. I’ve had a family member, 8ish years ago, telling me that she thought I was. Others have since said the same including my wife. I personally didn’t believe here but I do believe there was something different about me. I went from researching at introverts, psychopaths, narcissists and more but nothing ever fit. I did look at autism but not deeply enough. I had a major breakdown in December, lasting till early this month, that I concealed as much as possible, to eventually explode over nothing. It has almost cost me my marriage. Because of how wonderful my wife is, she has pushed me into getting a diagnosis. I’ve done so much research now but although a lot of the criteria does match , I can’t help but down play it. I’ll look at some people’s experiences and find traits that don’t match with my experience and I can’t help but dissociate myself from the thought of actually being autistic. Your video has helped me so much in making me finally accept that this maybe what I am. Thank you so much for sharing.

@tornadicflare 9 дней назад

I’m a teenage girl myself and I relate to this story a lot

@FirstmaninRome 5 месяцев назад

I was undiagnosed till 42, I was also a class clown once the bullying cleared 4th grade till a puberty school avoidance depression Meltdown Town, yes, never got good sleep, from nightterrors when real young to later waking up, and being awful , and my mind would race in the morning before school, that killed the academic spirit

@FirstmaninRome 5 месяцев назад

Like you, nihilistic now, though I was more optimistic Buddhist when college age and that me through more, later it was alcoholism, and now total schopenhaier pessimist, but yeah its difficult to enjoy life, for sure

@juliansalvucci85 5 месяцев назад

400hr Pokémon emerald run, so relatable!

@audreysargent3518 5 месяцев назад

Wow. What an extremely articulate and interesting story of your life thus far... you should be so proud of yourself . I identify with your struggle too. I am pretty sure i am Autistic. At 61, i have only recently come to this realisation? Watching your videos are so informative. Thank you and i wish you well. Xx

@thealbuquerque 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for this video Thomas. Suspected I was autistic last year, went deep dive researching all I could about it, and finally got my formal diagnosis 3 weeks ago at the age of 28. Still struggling with the autistic impostor syndrome currently though. Still watching in parts but I must say your story is pretty relatable and it is really reassuring to see the similarities our experiences growing up even though we come from different cultures and were diagnosed at different ages. Thank you for all of that. I imagine it must have been difficult to make such a video talking about vulnerabilities and past experiences. Your videos are great btw. I've been watching many of them in the past weeks in the background and processing my own emotions in what I feel its a good way :)

@bongo9595 5 месяцев назад

hey thats pretty much my experience too. diagnosed in nov at 28. totally agree with everything you said, and thanks thomas for sharing your experiences

@Catlily5 5 месяцев назад

Are you from Albuquerque?

@camillalotus1177 5 месяцев назад

Great podcast, Thomas. I appreciate all the insights of your journey. Your values will guide you to a very fulfilling life.

@lorainemc4216 5 месяцев назад

Very helpful.

@lillyrozze 5 месяцев назад

I can relate. I was always a target also in school and had a hard time to feel accepted. But your mom sounds nice. My parents were always punishing me and yelling. It made everything worse and I never had a diagnose as a child so I was just labeled as a problem. As an adult I also started excersise and things got much better. Keep going you 👍👍👍 ciao!

@Katehughz 5 месяцев назад

Great video buddy! P.S I didn’t know you really hated me that much at that time 😆

@Makkaru112 5 месяцев назад

The whole developing mental illness but among the entire video was entirely my life as well. Glad I found your channel long ago. Just got my fully legit all day assessment a few days ago too. He just finished a video call with my roommate as well who also was the one who drove me to the assessment and remained with me until any moment he couldn’t be in the room at certain times. Was fun though. The guy will be calling my mom again too to have a similar thing like he did with my elder roommate.

@jenavasexton1645 4 месяца назад

Im going to try to get my 9 year old son to watch part of this. He is doing GJJ and get easily discouraged but we know that once he hits grade 6 he will need the outlet. The video also reminded me about how I became in high school. I did a program that allowed me to take college classes at the local junior college and was also grew up and was still part of a high demand religion. At the time I attributed my loner-ness to that. But the reality was I had no idea how to socialize with kids my age.

@silvy3199 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing your story. I can relete so much about with the horrible time in secondary school, the bulllling and feeling disconnected with myself and the others, depression also to the unbearable point of wanting to end things. I am in the process of exploring if I might be autustic myself. Oh, I am also bad at keeping myself hidrated.

@MouthwashTyphoon 5 месяцев назад

Such a cute child!

@rozrussell1314 3 месяца назад

This was very relatable and vulnerable thank you for sharing

@torrinkearns6656 5 месяцев назад

Love this video, dude. I had similar experiences in college. Shit was rough.

@tomjones4768 4 месяца назад

thanks a lot for creating and sharing this vid, it's great hearing about other people's experiences with being autistic and I can definitely relate to how difficult it felt being autistic and struggling through secondary school a few years ago 😅

@bronwynlennox1240 5 месяцев назад

Massive respect for your sharing of your your experience; I both see you, and feel seen. Your channel helped me on my diagnosis journey, and I share it to help others. The world is better with you in it. 😊 Here is a duck, because, why not! 🦆

@RowenJ420 3 дня назад

At least you have decent parents thats good. I have autism and no support in my life, everyday is another day in hell in which i understand no one and anytime i ask for help I am ignored by society business, Doctors

@eviefittell2937 5 месяцев назад

❤. Love this video. I really like all your videos. You are very relaxing to listen to. I'm not very tech savy. I want to press the like button on all the one's I've seen. But I watch them on U Tube on my TV. I actually often just put your videos on to relax me. It's just so nice to see someone who speaks so intelligently and with so much empathy, at the same time. I've watched alot of U tubers making Autism content. I find yours by far the easiest, most comforting and most relaxing to watch. Your voice and your calmness are very unique compared to alot of other channels I've seen. When I'm stressed or depressed, I will pick a video off your Chanel to watch every time. Even if I've watched the same one more than a couple of times. I'll just pick one of my favourite video's and it helps me alot to feel better. I'm so glad I found your Chanel. It's by far my favourite one. Congratulations on doing such great work. And props to you for being such a nice guy. It's refreshing. 💯🧜‍♀️👌🐱

@thuggie1 5 месяцев назад

great video was really nice for you to share about your life experiences

@melaniegerhardt4885 2 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing this! ❤

@tracik1277 5 месяцев назад

🙏 thank you Thomas for being so open and generous with your story. ❤

@Catlily5 5 месяцев назад

Thanks Thomas, this was a very interesting video and we have more in common than I thought. I have enjoyed your autism content for the past year or so.

@taradaves3096 5 месяцев назад

THANK YOU for sharing your story! I really enjoyed listening to your eloquent speaking, and you did a fantastic job covering enough detail yet across such a span of time, that I feel like I know you - brother from another mother! I'm very sorry for the injury treatment with Inadequate anesthetic. I've been through similar a couple of specific times, once as a young child and the other as a middle-aged adult. I honestly haven't the foggiest clue how people in the helping professions can just plow ahead when the numbing is available (it's not like you're out in the woods somewhere, I mean come on!), and it would be so much easier for them to do their jobs. SMH 😮 I'm also sorry for the severe bullying, I'm shocked that kind of behavior went on and was tolerated (here in the states the adults in schools are too afraid of being sued to take action. Is that a possible issue there as well?).

@Kagomai15 3 месяца назад

Mild as a clinical term is not the same mild as a colloquial term. If anxiety can be rated 1-10, non clinical levels of anxiety are rated 1-7. Mild anxiety is an 8, moderate a 9 and severe a 10. "Mild" is still a very high amount of anxiety!

@CamStubbs 5 месяцев назад

I deeply appreciate you sharing this ❤ much love

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

I deeply appreciate you spending the time to hear my story!

@glen_plus1minus1 5 месяцев назад

Thanks so much for sharing your story Thomas. All you have accomplished is amazing. Very inspiring. I love your videos ❤

@hoflandmm 5 месяцев назад

Your sweater jumper is lovely!

@pferreira1983 5 месяцев назад

This has been a lovely look at your life Thomas. Thanks for showing us. 👍

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

Thanks Pedro! 🙌🏻

@EdmundsJourney 2 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing i can tell people love you very much. Have a good day

@jacquizbak 5 месяцев назад

sad to have missed this live thomas really enjoy interacting with u all ~ yet still not getting notices n mayb not even registering in the comments again ~so i just go play by myself as usual que sera eh!12:11Am1/19/2024

@Val__609 5 месяцев назад

Thank you Thomas. Your story is helpful to me it’s like, ok, I’m not the only one.

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

❤️❤️❤️

@meryluk 5 месяцев назад

Thomas this is so incredibly helpful to me. My young neice is waiting a for diagnoses and as you know 2 year wait list. Can I ask, do you find it difficult to go back in time and talk about these things?

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

I’m super glad Meryl! It is fairly difficult, I have a few mental blocks around specific events as I was heavily dissociated for much of my teenage/early-adult life

@General_Alek 5 месяцев назад

great jacket pattern

@rosiecheeks.k 5 месяцев назад

Omg little baby & toddler Thomas was utterly adorable lol!

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

I know! I can hardly believe it’s me 🤣

@liverpoolsherry1991 5 месяцев назад

I loved hearing the story Thomas. I’ll certainly take what I’ve learnt into my life and again thank you for sharing it

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much dude, I appreciate you taking the time to hear my story 💪🏻

@liverpoolsherry1991 5 месяцев назад

You’re welcome Thomas

@Girlsplaybass 5 месяцев назад

Thanks so much Thomas. I'm awaiting an assessment currently. (I'm female).

@kellymcleod9225 2 месяца назад

Thanks so much for sharing, wish you every happiness… going through this with a teenager at the moment, it’s very difficult… any tips to help with shut down, depression, social humiliation.. Looking into belief coding thinking this might help

@hazelpottage6551 4 месяца назад

Hi I love your channel I relate to a lot of what you say. Even though am quite a lot older than you. And am of a different generation. And am female. You have a friendly out look on life. Keep up the good work Hazel

@lucianunez2101 Месяц назад

Thank you for share your history ^^

@ThomasHenley Месяц назад

Thank you for listening to my history! 😁

@ero- 5 месяцев назад

THANK _ YOU _ 4 _ SHARING 🫡

@micheals1992 5 месяцев назад

The celebrities I loved and related too was Richard Faynman (he thinks in a very similar way to me) and Graeme Obree because I love cycling, I'm gay and have mental health issues like he suffered from (like the suicidal tendencies).

@heedmydemands 3 дня назад

❤

@micheals1992 5 месяцев назад

I relate to becoming the class clown I wish I never did "The angry monkey" at school. I did it during break time at first and found other kids found it funny but then all of the other kids pressured me to do it during class. I'd basically pretend to be a monkey that was sad and crying, the sadness turns into anger and then the monkey goes berserk 🫢. It caused me allot of issues before I got the confidence to just say no to the other kids.

@yoni-in-BHAM 5 месяцев назад

Dang, this was uploaded twelve days ago? How did I not see it? Oh, yeah, been sick, still am. Been sleeping mostly...but dang! 😫

@ThomasHenley 5 месяцев назад

It was indeed! Did a premiere and all haha

@yoni-in-BHAM 5 месяцев назад

You were such an adorable little kid! Maybe one day you'll have little ones of your own. Like maybe quintuplets or something! 🤣

@seanr521 Месяц назад

Great video man - glad you got through those experiences to be able to help others. A good guy but a bad ass mf with those taekwondo kicks 😀

@sameus11maximus 5 месяцев назад

My SH would be punching myself in the head and punching other things much harder than my fists lmao

@zametal. 5 месяцев назад

I have watched enough of your content now, that I could just stare at your face forever, thinking how handsome you are. I am sure this obsession will subside, as it usually does, but I just wanted to tell you that you are considered very handsome by this random stranger from the internet XD