"I wouldn't change him for anything!" - An ADHD parent & autistic son's journey

Dan Harris and his non-speaking son, The Joshie Man, share their inspiring journey, full of heart warming insight.

Dan is the founder of the charity, Neurodiversity in Business, advocating for the rights of neurodivergent folk to access neuroinclusive workplaces.

You can find out more details at www.neurodiversity.org.

Chapters:

00:42 A message from our sponsor: Tiimo

02:46 Start of interview

03:27 I quite often ask this question at the end but I think it would be a good one to start with:

04:02 Could you explain in detail the general spectrum of ASD, where you place on it and then where Joshy would be placed on it?

05:44 You hear quite regularly things like "oh my friend, he/she is a bit on the spectrum", it seems in some way, we are all on the spectrum. That's why it's a spectrum and not binary. Is this true? Do we all have a bit of an -ism? 

07:12 You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, when was your first memory of feeling different?

10:08 Do you think you could describe as accurately as best you can what Joshy's experience of the world is?

12:12 How does Joshy show and process his emotions and feelings?

13:11 What is the general communication like between yourself and Joshy and how has that evolved over time

14:00 Did it take time to come to terms with Joshy's diagnosis and if so, what were the stages of processing like for you?

17:22 How have you coped as a father?

19:24 ADHD Item

21:31 Were there any tell-tale signs of Joshy's condition very early in his life and if so, how early?

22:49 A message from our sponsor: Stasis

24:16 How has the world changed with regards to how it views autism since your personal diagnosis? 

27:46 Is there a chasm that needs to be addressed with regards to Joshy's experience of the world and how people with his condition are viewed by authorities?

32:21 How would you like the world to change over the next 10 years with regards to ADHD and Autism?

34:14 What Autism associated stigma would you most like to debunk?

36:13 What nonverbal autistic stigma would you most like to debunk?

40:06 Washing machine of woes

Dan is fighting for Communication Boards to be installed globally to help non-speaking people access their communities: https://neurodiversityinbusiness.org/communicationboards/

Find Dan on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjharris/

Get started with Tiimo for free on mobile or web by following this link:

https://tiimo.onelink.me/w6CP/AlexPartridge

Do you want to feel the benefits of Stasis? Use code ADHDCHATTER for 20% off your first order. Discount automatically applied at checkout: https://takestasis.com/discount/ADHDCHATTER?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=adhdchatter2409&utm_id=adhdchatter

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Producer: Timon Woodward

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