Grappling with the grey: autism & the future

These free online talks are by Conor who works with NDTi as an autistic expert by experience. They are exclusively for young people who taken part in our Time to Talk programme.

"Hi, my name is Conor Eldred-Earl, I’m 24 years old, and I’m autistic. These days I take great pride in that diagnosis, however for most of my life that was not the case. In this talk I aim to give a stark and very honest insight into my life, the challenges, and how it was overcome (or in some cases still being grappled with).

From the ages of 12 to20, I went through clinical depression, severe anxiety, OCD tendencies, restricted eating, and generally saw no future beyond my bedroom walls or a dark corner of a science lab. Secondary school was a challenge - be it discovering my sexuality, dealing with the stigma of autism, developing friendships, dealing with know-it-all staff and adults (who honestly hadn’t the foggiest idea), and adjusting to my sensory needs as I matured and tried to find a way in the world to be productive yet true to myself and my needs while living a fulfilling life. It was hell.

Does this sound familiar? While I hope not, it’s sadly all too common for autistic people in a scarily neurotypical world."