Tom Aspinall Speaks Openly About His Son's Autism Diagnosis

[@tomaspinallofficial]

Really appreciate you fellas in allowing me to talk about something so important to me and so many others out there! 👊

[@PortoPaul]

Wan Tom 🇮🇪

[@DensonGames]

Tom thank you for talking about this mate, I have ADHD and my brother is autistic, we are also both from Atherton, i 1 million percent agree with everything you said, the lists are just terrible.

[@DensonGames]

Also im a big fan mate, waiting for Jones to stop ducking you 😉😂

[@sirteabag8652]

Good luck on the 28th! and still.

[@ryanomahony9042]

Legend

[@billyd-fr7fl]

Genuinely the fact tom decided to ask about his situation first before even beginning to answer the question shows what a great guy he is, you can tell he actually cares

[@quantumblurrr]

It's normal

[@billyd-fr7fl]

@@quantumblurrr how many rich or famous people act normal

[@Silverwidows]

Yeah i noticed that as well. Tom seems like a decent guy, especially for what he does for a living. Most mma fighters i know are nice people but there's definitely a screw loose somewhere 😂

[@audioostrich]

Class act - proper english gentleman

[@smith9157]

Tom Aspinall is such a breath of fresh air for the mma community, his got your dry British humour and so very humble I'd listen to him on any podcast his on. Aspinall>jones

[@paxcapybara4312]

As a brazillians, I hate Jones hahauahahshs

[@koneking2569]

Agreed, guys a legend I hope he wins the UFC HW strap.

[@Anonymoushomie69]

@@koneking2569 To me, he already has. Jones isn't really a real champ, he doesn't fight contenders. Aspinall does and so to me, he's the person you have to beat to prove you're the best at HW.

[@coomingnotgoing904]

@@koneking2569 He already has

[@Geck_Gxng]

fact

[@CharlieMclachlan-ly5yf]

AS A PERSON WITH AUTISM TOM THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL THE BEST EVERYTHING WAS SPOT ON

[@sam-gp6dz]

could listen to tom all day, speaks so well

[@arinovick3899]

It warms my heart as an autistic man that tom has so much love for his son.

[@SFGPCs]

You another one of those self diagnosed Autistic people? I don't buy it.

[@jameswarner6391]

Getting help as an Autistic person is quite difficult. I was diagnosed when I was 15 nearly 16, then with dyslexia at 17. Only speaking from my own experience, I feel like schools (I went to a state school) aren't equipped to deal with undiagnosed SEN kids. As long as you can get alright grades you slip through the cracks. When I got my diagnosis (I put myself forward to be tested) it was quite emotional for me and my parents. My mother burst into tears and I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It's very hard to express what it's like to be autistic, but I knew my experience wasn't the same as the people around me. There's only so many times you can be singled out and ridiculed for being weird before you learn that there is genuinely something different about you. When I was younger I was made to feel like being different was bad but when I got my diagnosis I finally got the closure that it wasn't my fault, it wasn't something I was doing wrong that made me the school weirdo but it's part of who I am. That helped me to except myself. I really appreciate the message of this podcast and the goal of getting kids and parents the help they need. Just as it's a learning curve for the parents, it's a learning curve for the kids aswell as they understand why they are the way they are and what makes them different to their friends and family.

[@oxsila]

I hope things are better in schools now, but when I was in school, 99% of teachers thought my inability to process information quickly was because I wasn't trying to listen. They thought my lack of eye contact was that I was bored. Far from it. I found out recently i've had autism all my life. I process things differently to the way teachers expect the average person to do it. So I got told off a lot and it always really upset me because I was always trying my best. But they percieved it differently because they have obviously no clue about autism and such things. I really hope things are better now and teachers actually get trained to be aware of these kind of things.

[@foiazhassan7306]

Thank you so much for taking time to write this ❤

[@MasterSpencer2483]

I got diagnosed after college, and it was one of the most challenging but cathartic experiences of my life. I’ve loved every time I’ve gotten to hear you speak on it. The TRUE heavyweight champion

[@sharonworrell5230]

We are waiting on an appointment for assessment for our 18 month old grandson Autism runs amock in our family Early diagnoses is essential Thank-you for highlighting the issues

[@Fredable]

Tom is so real for this, only got diagnosed with adhd and autism recently due to all the all the struggles I was going through mentally with seemingly no reason and nothing that was helping not matter what I tired effecting my school days university and serious problems at work. The diagnosis helped and cleared a lot of things up but I had to go private and pay a lot of money to get everything sorted, cus when I went to the nhs the waiting list was several years, I cant be suffering that long just to function normally. I'm 23 btw so it was pretty late and is a lot to process

[@DwarfDt]

Be certain in yourself brother and figure the things your needing out. do not let them make u feel any other way over how you think. Everyone better in areas than other that's why we are great as society. Do not let them rewrite your mind with shit. You rewrite your mind to be the best possible person you can be.

[@happym5717]

Genuinely nice guy Tom Aspinal. He's clearly trying his best to do everything he can for his family and support them. Great message to be spreading

[@vitalis]

As a UFC fan I didn’t know this about Tom. I’m glad he is bringing more awareness.

[@activatewindows8609]

Tom is the man, you can tell genuine souls when you see them and Tom is definitely one of them. So much respect for that man right there.

[@willdebeasten4397]

100% Took quite a while to get my son diagnosed and we were very lucky. We went via both the school and GP, you have to persevere, keep on top of endless the forms.

[@c3ramics]

Tom is a massive voice! A lot of my older family and other boomer generation are realizing a lot of individuals in their life had autistic children and there was no knowledge. The societal awareness is rising, put pressure Tom!

[@alexthejew420]

man you can truly tell tom aspinall reallyyyyy is one of those gentle giants, so much

[@PickleCraftPlayz]

I think I’ve spent like a quarter of my life in waiting lists lmaoo

[@Useful.]

The waiting list is so long in my area, they just straight refuse anyone looking for a diagnosis 😀

[@oxsila]

My GP told me that the waiting list was so long that she highly recommended private diagnosis. It cost £1,700 which is insane since I work extremely part time due to health condition but now I know myself for life. I don't have to wait any longer to know if I actually have autism. I hope you can figure something out it really shouldn't be taking this long for people it's absurd.

[@itza1974]

Stop begging for attention everyone wants an excuse to not do this n that so u gotta try put a label on it, crazy that everyone is autistic n has adhd in 2024 😂😂😂I guess I have autism then

[@PickleCraftPlayz]

@@itza1974 brother what 😭

[@itza1974]

@@PickleCraftPlayz basically u all need a diagnosis n put a name on something when that’s just the victim mentality just get on with life don’t need to make excuses to not do this n that

[@TheKingOfCasual]

currently going through this with my 3 year old son, Getting the help we need in Ireland is a no go and we've pressured the places as much as we could and now it has resulted in us bringing them to court because they admitted fault to not getting around to my sons case quick enough, It's hard being a father to an autistic child you are thrown into the deep end instantly but we still love them endlessly.

[@susch7466]

Im 24 and only recently got diagnosed with Aspergers. Ive had regular psychiatric help since i was 12 and only now after switching therapist and psychiatrist it was brought to my attention that i had symptoms. 800€ test and 5 months later i have officially been diagnosed.

[@WH-hi5ew]

Worth the money for the test, hope it's a step forwards for you.

[@agegarret]

I thought that Aspergers wasnt a diagnosis anymore?

[@susch7466]

@@agegarret only the name changed. It is now called Autism spectrum disorder. I just use the old name because most people have no idea what ASD is. Dr Asperger's was a prominent psychiatrist in Austria during WW2, which means human experiments. So that's why they changed the name.

[@natashafletcher600]

My son went from gp appointment to completed diagnosis of adhd within 9 months. This was owing to a huge family history and an incredible school who listed "worst case scenarios" in the paperwork, and attended EVERY appointment!

[@dinonutz]

I have high functioning autism, and seeing Tom speak about this is very cool. I hope to train with him someday and to fight in the UFC.

[@bmwbavaria3991]

Have you had speech delay as a kid and what other things were the most difficult things to deal with having the autism, I hope you’re doing well in your present and future life

[@torarnehaugen6479]

So hard to talk about. Thank you Tom❤

[@fulumukwevho4744]

I’m ADHD and my daughter is Autistic so I truly appreciate these conversations.

[@peterhall8572]

Went through this with my stepdaughter because when with the doctor she was normal but under any stress her reaction were extreme and uncontrollable. Finally got a diagnosis at 17

[@bryyyk7832]

I’m autistic and didn’t get diagnosed until I was 13 I had been trying to get diagnosed since I was 5. When I found out I cried and cried over it and it brought my mental health down I’m glad people are recognising the fact that something needs to be done

[@nothin5841]

Dood. I dunno know abt this. Isn't autism physical??? Like can't we diagnose it ourself

[@lornamorton1008]

So many people being diagnosed with autism now and there really isn’t the support that there should be. I have a non verbal autistic 6 year old daughter and to get the correct help you need is a constant battle. The government really need to step up their game with this. Thank you Tom 🙏🏼

[@Lmc88y]

It's the exact same with my youngest mate, we spotted the differences very young, he was 4, take 2 years for a diagnosis, it's extremely long winded, appointments here, appointments there, sign this, sign that, test after tests... it was a massive stress I can also imagine with yourself. But we got there, now we can cope, plan ahead and move with it, he's now 16 going to college, it's a learning curve as a minor, day to day living etc, but they'll learn as they grow, routines, do's and don'ts. Can and can'ts etc etc. Props to this interview though mate well done! Massive fan 👏 💪

[@keithyp8427]

I can relate to this so much, Our daughter got an Autism diagnosis 6 weeks ago.

[@steveford2626]

My son has been through this, we went private for 5 years trying to get answers. We used Polly Tommey for our guidance, she went to America, opened a hospice as UK turned their back on him. They run the Aurism trust, worth a connection, great advice. We had a private tutor daily for 5 years to help our son, school refused him unless we had a personal teacher privately funded with him daily. Gordon Brown was involved in this also, Jonathan Tommey was who my son was looked after by, he changed our lives for us.🙏

[@lucyhadingham]

Getting a diagnosis is just the beginning, getting and EHCP and school placement is even harder!

[@intotheblu3486]

Very true. As our daughter has a dual diagnosis of autism and a learning disabilty it was probably easier as it was undeniable to anyone. My wife was a teacher at a big school on a rough estate that has lots of SEN kids who were not getting EHCP’s. She’s now a SENCO and does the EHCP’s herself and has a 100% pass rate. The academy she works for cover 7-8 schools so as of September, her bosses have given her a new rule of training other SENCO’s within the academy on things like EHCP’s. It’s the fact that she lives it too and walks the walk, Ip understands the parents and the child and knows how to word it all. From what she tells me , they are getting harder and harder to get. Probably a little to do with some parents trying to wrongly get their kids a diagnosis for an issue they don’t have so they can claim disability. It’s a sad sad reality

[@samthemadman5000]

EHCP always get refused 1st time around, so I tell people to appeal as all the people in the autism crowd always tell me how they got refused 1st time and usually get it the 2nd time, not that everyone has the same experiences

[@beth8132]

I got misdiagnosed multiple times as a child. Then I fell out of the system and was just the dumb, shy, quiet kid in the class. After a breakdown in my 20s, i got referred to adult mental health in the height of covid. She had 2 appointments with me diagnosed me with autism. I was left with no help, just got a diagnosis and taken out of the system. The reasoning for not giving me help or a follow-up was because i have my own flat, a full-time job (at the time), and i drive. My life has been tipped upside down since my diagnosis, and im fighting for help for me. I worry for me, little girl, if she has inheritanted anything from me. She is 2 and is showing some adhd traits but no one want to do anything because the systems are all full and "shes only 2 she'll grow out of it" or "shes a toddler, they all do strange things at that age" im lucky there is one person from a child care setting that does believe me and understands my girl and my concerns.

[@jah5076]

I’m 26, with a 5 year old boy who is autistic, it’s hard. Tom’s story is almost identical to our story and to many others. Unfortunately, if you don’t get a diagnosis early children get left behind as getting a ECHP that’s correct for their needs is a long fight. . From minute one as parents your fighting for the right provision. Thankfully my son finally got a place at a school that specialises in autism.

[@AliB0n]

im 24 and have autism, recently ive thought of getting a adhd diagnoses because im fairly sure i have it. as soon as i saw the waiting list i gave it up. i only wanted to find out to be sure, its not like i need special assistance with my work and i dont want to take away a spot on the waiting list from a child that needs specialised assistance at school. my mum worked hard to get me diagnosed when i was younger and did so much research into schools and extra ways to help me that without it i wouldnt not be able to function in socially or academically. id love to see more awareness on this because that those 2-3 years can make such a massive difference in the quality of life for the person that needs to be diagnosed.

[@TheCloob]

@@AliB0n As someone that works in this field, I thought I'd just advise you that there are two separate waiting lists for children and adults to be assessed for ASD or ADHD. Children are usually assigned to CAMHS, which you wouldn't be, thus taking no child's place in a queue. :-)

[@AliB0n]

@@TheCloob oh thats great, thanks for letting me know!

[@Journeyman2585]

We knew my son was on the spectrum for a long while. He's 7 now, and we just got his diagnosis 3 weeks ago. We were on the waiting list for 3 years here in America.

[@PedroConroy-666]

My sons going through this. He was diagnosed with ADHD. (Literally off the scale). He’s currently in process for further diagnosis for Tourette’s & Autism. Absolutely heartbreaking to his frustrations. Don’t get me wrong, he’s 100 miles per hour from wake up and struggles to switch his Brain off to sleep(he calls it Fast Brain). Great work Tom & the Happy Hour team. Not enough getting done about this 💪🏽

[@peteracton2246]

When I started trying to get a diagnosis (NHS) as an adult I was told I'd wait 18 months. A year or so later I got a letter trying to put me off. I had to push and was then told there was a 2.5 year wait for ADHD and 3 year wait for autism. Imho it should be the young and those in crisis first but I wonder if I'll ever be called in "to be seen". Very helpful chat here.

[@britain1100]

I’m just finishing going through this with my 4 year old son, it’s ridiculous the wait here too in BC Canada. 3+ years of you don’t wanna pay for private. If you go private it’s 5k damn near. It’s like every other kid nowadays. Comforting hearing you speak up about it and being my fave fighter.

[@theseeker7692]

It frightens me how many people are fear morgering about "everyone getting fake diagnosis these days" while autistic people are still very often being denied access to diagnosis or are subjected to very bad therapists who frankly don't know what they are talking about. UFC champion talking about this is an amazing accomplishment

[@jonathanmarkham1998]

Unfortunately there’s a lot of people out there who love to have strong opinions on stuff they don’t have a clue about.

[@Grahamrobinsonvt802]

Hi there I’m an autistic person in USA 🇺🇸 was on the board of autism of America years ago Hope you get him into special Olympics and programs

[@jonathanarcher5356]

Mate, ive got 2 kids with autism. My step son was non verbal until 4, it took until 7 to get a diagnostic. Now at 12 and going to a specialist school, weve been waiting 5 years to get ADHD diagnosis too.

[@neoconnor4395]

I have autism. Be thankful you're dealing with this today, because in the 90s when I grew up, people didn't know what it was. I dropped out of school in the 6th grade, but now I'm one of the best Mortal Kombat players in the world. I'm also really good at most things people wish they could do. It honestly doesn't surprise me a world class combat athlete has an autistic child. Tom probably has a little autism in himself.

[@honeyclark815]

It’s also important to add that, autistic children grow up into autistic adults. It isn’t just kids who have autism, as a lot of these comments seem to be suggesting.

[@papaspaulding]

At 46 years old Ive been on the waiting list for adhd assessment for around a year now on the NHS. expecting it to be a few years. am gutted I didn't follow through with an appointment for assessment I had back in 2007, as back then it only took me a few weeks to get. Now when I decide to get another appointment it's another story

[@duskplains1235]

I was diagnosed with Autism quicker (relatively) as a kid because I have sodium valproate syndrome. Even though it was known I had Autism I didn’t manage to get special education assistance until later on. I hope it’s different now as I think it would’ve really helped me develop easier growing up.

[@deanmilwainoly3966]

I’m undiagnosed ADHD. Im 37. Im sure a lot of people say this. I’m going to go private soon because of waiting list. It’s a super power at timer. I’ve always been a high achieve at whatever I put my mind to. But it’s getting to the point I feel it causing me frustration’s and I’m so excited to hopefully get help

[@BobbySteelanus]

Get those amphetamines

[@GM-tw4el]

Alot of work needs to be done for autism, but the adult adhd trend today really annoys me. I grew up diagnosed with adhd, lived a relatively normal life, but today because of tiktok there are so many people self-diagnosing themselves with adult adhd to justify why they're always late, always losing things, can't keep a tidy house or a relationship. It's a bit of a cop out today, and it's holding up resources for people in need, especially children. If you're an adult, and it's not affecting your life negatively then who cares? Why do you need a label? If your mental health and social life are majorly suffering and you can get help, great, but if you just want an excuse for being a low functioning adult then you're a waste of space. Same as the self diagnosed anxiety brigade who want to feel special for having the exact same feelings as every other human being, if you don't get anxious you're probably a psychopath.

[@oxsila]

@@GM-tw4el I think you should relax a little to be honest. I would rather people felt ok to admit their problems and talk about things than feel like they can't because of people like you trying to invalidate them without even knowing if you're right, you're just skeptical. Let's just relax a little, eh?

[@ln5747]

🙄

[@deanmilwainoly3966]

@@ln5747 got an issue?

[@ciaranh7456]

the waiting list is crazy. ive been waiting almost 3 years for a diagnosis. im actually considering going private at a cost of £1500

[@Beariam24]

My son is on the list for his stammer (2 years waiting list) dyspraxia (2 years waiting list) Autism (3 years waiting list) He is 6 years old and will almost be in secondary school before he gets even an assessment let alone help! It’s totally fucked up i truly feel for every family out there waiting for help

[@OHB666]

Men like Tom make you proud to be English. UFC Manchester let’s gooo 🔥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@thesecondlemming2619]

I’m 22 and just now seeing all my traits that coincide with autism, so naturally I went out looking for anyone to help me with a diagnosis only to realize that there are a million places to support people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and about 10 that actually diagnose autism, the colleges near me have a 12-18 month waiting list and not a single place accepts insurance. And it will cost me around 3500 dollars to get one. I don’t even know if I have autism and I don’t know if I ever will because I am more afraid to pay that money and find out I’m not autistic than I am to actually get the diagnosis.

[@mileswalton5333]

Your such an intelligent, interesting, (champion of the world) nice guy, and powerful when you speak, especially about a subject so important to you. Top man Tom Aspinall 👏

[@pastformal8354]

How can you not love Tom Aspinall.

[@awhi3765]

I had to fight for my child to be assessed. They kept dismissing me and behaving as if I was irrational. I went into the gp and he told me that line about all kids being different, so I told him flat out I was not leaving until he looked at my child or the police removed me. He decided to pacify me to get rid of me and within minutes of him taking a proper look, he referred me for a test. My baby was only a year old when diagnosed and now is an adult. It’s so sad to see that things have got worst. No improvement at all when it comes to neurodiversity and mental health.

[@mikedornan168]

been waiting 6 years now just for my boy to see the neurology department, the NHS is ab absolute Joke. Wish we could afford a private doctor to get a diagnosis. Thanks for speaking on this Tom, all the best.

[@RobM199]

Agreed, to be honest, I never truly believed autism was a real affliction before meeting my partner and her son when he was 3. He's 13 turning 14 this year and for 7 years we've battled to get a diagnosis. First of all schools have to do a review, but you get autistic kids that don't fly off the handle everyday (probably mostly those who's parents have encouraged them to do so will) that teachers can't pick up on (like teachers can help diagnose this anyway). Only last year we managed to get an independent review and out of a potential score of 27, he scored 18 with 7 being the cut off between a diagnosis and not. At every step we've had to battle the system and been offered no support at all. I don't care about your money, just bloody support people who need help with this.

[@jdenmark1287]

Good on you Tom, outstanding human being!

[@glyndwrjohn6383]

I got my diagnosis a week before my 40th birthday. I have had no help since but at least certain things began to make sense from the last 3 decades.

[@paulgal]

I was 38 when I got diagnosed it was a weight off my shoulders. Now I understand certain behaviours and so does my partner. It’s also good for work as my manager understands why sometimes I act the way I do.

[@glyndwrjohn6383]

@paulgal I suspect that you and I fell between the cracks because it isn't obvious. I internalised things rather than creating scenes when struggling within an environment as a kid. I too have found people understand my idiosyncrasies more now there's a tangible reason for them. What support outside your inner circle have you received, if any?

[@J1283-s1k]

'Little old me' - The Heavyweight Champion of the world.

[@staraptorflock3661]

Wrong Jon Bones Jones

[@bentdog8917]

My best UFC fighter & so grounded.

[@philmclean9470]

Tom move to Australia.he will get diagnosis straight away. My son got diagnosed at 3. He's now 18. All the early intervention stuff, occupational therapy,psychology, special schools all available here in Australia. My son is about to get a job now. There's so much available here

[@cory356]

That’s not feasible.

[@philmclean9470]

@@cory356 why not? Reason?

[@nelsoncarmona1981]

@@philmclean9470 his life is set where he lives right now. His gym, his family, friends, everything is in england bro he cant just move. Especially not when hes training for fights constantly.

[@philmclean9470]

@@nelsoncarmona1981 depends what's more important bro. His fighting career or his child's wellbeing and development

[@nelsoncarmona1981]

@@philmclean9470 well i think hes obviously doing quite a good job raising his children right now as hes ok with focusing on fighting and he might be the best heavyweight ever. If he keeps fighting his family will be financially secure for a long long time

[@owm1560]

I got my diagnosis at 16 after my last school i was sent to ( being kicked out multiple times )pushed for me to be diagnosed after

[@devrouxk]

i was recently diagnosed with autism and it took half a year 😭

[@mattwells5022]

Autism is a social disability mostly we learn who we are through interactions with other people when we merge into a familiar group we use years of automated responses & social understanding to have a conversation with people. It's like holding mirrors up in a room and we all bounce various ways of communication off the mirrors for an autistic person there are no mirrors no learnt social understanding so reading a room or having a normal conversation is hard to figure out they have a complex relationship with their own senses & you get all the sensory stimulation. Learning disabilities sometimes come with autism and is extremely various and seem to come with the challenging behaviour more than autism alone. Autism is a social sensory disorder, learning disabilities are a developmental learning disorder. I know hundreds of people with both and they absolutely love life and live to the fullest with the right support.

[@matthewscully2475]

Tom is a class act through and through.

[@alfiegarbo0974]

Im 16 and have only just been diagnosed with autism being trying to get diagnosed since i was 4

[@paulgal]

I’m 39 and only got diagnosed with autism last year. It changed my life to know why I was a little strange. Now my girlfriend completely understands why I am the way I am. I’ve never told anyone else I have it apart from a few people I work with. They definitely need start testing more kids and even adults .

[@mangopudding5979]

What is autism exactly?

[@dethrocker]

​@mangopudding5979 what a weird comment ...go educate yourself

[@dethrocker]

​@mangopudding5979 what a weird comment ...go educate yourself

[@You-vc8cm]

@@dethrockerwhat did he say?

[@ozkaa]

​@@dethrockeryou're a Muppet. Nothing wrong with politely and respectfully asking a question like that.

[@CLWF3]

Great podcast as always ❤. Unfortunately, it just comes down to staffing and money. Every section of the NHS has huge waiting lists, and unfortunately, theres other priorities to treat first 😢

[@Austinwevo]

Damn I respect that. Autism diagnosis is tough in the US as well. A lot of misdiagnosis.

[@randomusername4281]

I've never been able to do phone calls, they just scare me and make me anxious. But I finally moved somewhere where I could book GP appointments online, and earlier this year I messaged them to ask if I could book an appointment to discuss having an autism assessment just for them to tell me that the NHS no longer refer adults for autism assessments anymore and you have to go private now. I can't afford to spend £2000-£3000 for an assessment and now I just feel even more lost.

[@ln5747]

Being scared of phonecalls and you think you have autism - it's people like you who are destroying the health service with your hypochondriasis.

[@laampards]

​@@ln5747the reading comprehension on this app is piss poor

[@mateuszdziegiel1655]

Respect for Tom 📈📈📈

[@superdrwholock]

I have level 2 autism and ADHD and I waited over 5 years to get a diagnosis and that’s just the diagnosis, then you’re on waiting lists to get help. I was in sixth form anyway so it was too late to get help from my school they were shit and I was bullied badly and now have very low self esteem and can barely talk to people, always struggled but I feel like if I was helped sooner and it was picked up on sooner then maybe I wouldn’t be this bad who knows

[@michellemcgarr1709]

I know to many people who’s children are clearly suffering from autism but they are on waiting lists for any diagnosis so without much needed support and care. Why is this happening to so many children now?

[@SOak145]

Public services in the country have been gutted by the incumbent government. It all bleeds down from that essentially. A lot of people are getting absolutely let down.

[@jameswarner6391]

Autism awareness has been increasing a lot over the past few years. Although most people haven't got a great understanding, more people have started to learn what being autistic actually means and the spectrum that comes with it. Thus more people are getting their diagnosis earlier on then they would've a few years ago.

[@Outklassed7]

I have autism and it's much easier for me to write my thoughts down than to speak them. When trying to speak there are so many thoughts and words flying at the same time its hard to single out exactly what i'm trying to say and then decode it in my head so that when i say it somebody doesn't get their feelings hurt. I was conditioned from a young age not to speak my exact thoughts but to translate it to a soft flowery version of what i want to say so neurotypicals don't end up crying or thinking i am rude and insensitive when really i'm just being truthful. When writing however the words just flow out onto the paper and i think it's probably because i've never been chastised or alienated for my WRITING but i have constantly for things that i say.

[@thelevelbeyondhuman]

Its not about soft flower language or being “truthful” because truth is, just because YOU think it’s truthful doesn’t mean it’s the truth. What you mean to say is that you say whatever you really feel. And that’s not always appropriate. It’s called social cues, social awareness.

[@jeje4042]

There’s a huge connection between the gut (proteins, gut bacteria) and the brain activity. Certain proteins from the gut pass the blood brain barrier and this is how a deficit of the protein in some people is absent/low in the gut and causes ‘different brain activity & behaviours’. Toxins are allowed to build up and when it crosses the blood brain barrier behaviour is negatively affected. Camels milk is very good at making positive brain activity changes, bathing the child in epsom salts, bathing the child in detox clay, zeolite supplements can help. Hoping everyone caring for a child with difficulties all the best in making progress and staying strong. I have a child of 32 years of age with Down’s Syndrome and can vouch for us all that although the stress and difficulties are ever evident, it is all do-able. Don’t give up, don’t despair. Each new day brings new hope. Remember to take care of yourselves so that you are well enough to cope and take care of your child.

[@delux4285]

I got diagnosed with ADHD by the NHS but I totally don’t have it and never did. I just found schoolwork boring, but this seemed to be the only criteria they required to start prescribing me drugs that made me not want to eat any lunch at school. I think a lot of the things they do to remedy things like autism and adhd often don’t help and are just demotivating and make your child’s education weaker. However this is just my experience, some kids have really tough issues

[@ryanlangley1219]

Great podcast, gents.

[@noodle_tax]

Dont worry! Autism is the best base for MMA. cant wait for his son to be champ 💪💯

[@WILLtTHOMPSON2906]

I was first told i probably had it when i was 17, and i got diagnosed at 28.

[@Xena20]

My son is 12 and only got diagnosed this year because I payed private. He’s still technically waiting for an appointment to he went in for an assessment at four years old then we had to wait then Covid happened and it delayed the process even more. Just heard that you paid private. My kid could’ve had the right intervention sooner and been better off he is 12 but cognitively at the age off a six year old.

[@Larakinerd]

I am an autistic father to an autistic son. People have no idea the struggle that it brings.

[@Steve0272.]

I think we are learning autism is a spectrum on a much larer spectrum of neurological patterns, im convinced in the future we will be able to " fix " all these conditions from autism , depression, alzheimers , psychopathy, by basically rewiring those signals

[@TerryBailey3]

I Have Autism Too, As well As OCD. My Family Were Asking For Help Since I Was Around 15 Years Old; I Was Diagnosed at 21 Years Old. I Understand The NHS Is Severely Under-funded When It Comes To Mental Health; But You Just Feel Abandoned

[@hugoar076]

Gotta love this guy

[@b3nzione909]

We need to hook Tom up with Paul Mullin , Wrexham super striker. His son has autism and Paul is doing big things to bring awareness and to help other parents.

[@skindred1888]

It's mental how many of the older generation just flat out don't believe in this type of stuff. As the 50 year old man eats the same lunch and dinner for 35 years, freaks out over unimportant changes and struggles to talk with anyone...

[@oxsila]

I wear an invisible disability lanyard on buses and if I had a coin for every bus driver who treats me like i'm capable of eye contact etc i'd be a millionaire. I need a second to get on the bus, I can't look you in the eyes, I struggle to speak verbally. But i'm not trying to cause trouble. I just need 5 seconds. But so many bus drivers are old and have no patience for any disabled person who doesn't "Look disabled" like a blind person or someone in a wheelchair. It's beyond frustrating. I just want to get from A to B, but they make it sooo much more difficult than it needs to be.

[@adamhadfield5831]

Questions need to be asked as to why so many kids have autism now, it’s worrying how common it is now. There must be a cause

[@albionblue123]

Autism is such a wide spectrum. Too many conditions are often mixed in with it. You just can’t generalise with Autism but so many people do.

[@benjamincampbell50]

I couldn’t agree more with Tom, as a neurodivergent individual, I can testify to the struggles those on the spectrum deal with when trying to get a diagnosis. I got a diagnosis at 26 after many years of being misunderstood, struggling with depression and bullying. A diagnosis is important to help you understand your condition and help navigate your own experiences. With this understanding I have changed my approach to nearly every aspect of my life and have reaped the rewards. To also be a fan of mma and hearing (my opinion) the best heavyweight in the world atm talking with a clear passion for this topic is admiring. To have a father this engaged by his son’s condition will mean he has the support to understand his complexities with autism. A real testimony to the character of Tom.

[@Mooneyplane]

Nhs is a joke, waiting lists for most things are like this now. Unless you have a serious breakdown to the point your basically sectioned they won’t do much other than throw prescriptions at you

[@Smeshmma44]

i was only diagnosed last year at 22

[@TadayoshiKitagata]

My son has autism and I totally agree tom

[@TheLastCrumb.]

I was diagnosed late in life, they offered me appointments which were nearly a year apart. I spoke to them and said my friends daughter is autistic too, I'd like to give up my appointments to give to her as I'm too old to really help, in my 40s, she's young enough for you to really make a difference. They didn't want to know. Shameful. I love the nhs but it just doesn't work.

[@patricknez7258]

Big fan of Tom. He is awesome imo

[@V3N0MGAM1NG]

my family member wasn't diagnosed for 18 years....

[@RandomParkShots]

Show you how big Tom actually is Jaack and Stevie are big lads in their own right and he makes them look small

[@MrDeathwishVR]

Put pressure on the government, waiting times aren't caused by the nhs

[@bluew7731]

The main reason that these "waiting lists" exists is because they want to put off the paperwork that comes with the diagnoses for as long as possible! Girls have a harder time to get diagnoses because they mask better than boys. my mother said she knew the minute she saw me something was up, it took 13 years for my diagnoses i was told i was a "problem child" because nobody would take her seriously, had to change schools to be taken seriously, forever grateful to the people who took the time to actually listen to her and take her worries seriously, it shouldn't take 2 plus years to be on a waiting list when kids need help in the moment.

[@almsivi123]

Trying to figure out how the titles and thumbnail can make sense simultaneously gave me a migraine

[@Blackwell0102]

Great lad Tom Aspinall is

[@KirbyBackwards]

As a 26 year old bloke who has suspected autism, it feels hopeless to even go and start the process, if they can't even get the future generations sorted out what hope do we have 😂

[@LordBathtub]

Need to put pressure on the minister's in charge. The folk working for the NHS (my gf, mum and sister all do) are doing everything they can given the circumstances