April 3, 2026 • 29 mins
Faria Ash on Building the Autism Foundation, Training, Advocacy, and Safer Care in the UK
Host Tony Mantor welcomes back autism advocate Faria Ash, who returns to share her progress since discussing her book on toilet training for autistic and SEND children and adults, based on her nonverbal daughter Aia’s real-life story.
Faria explains that the book’s success led her to form the Autism Foundation in the UK (officially launched October 2023), expanding from workshops into autism training for communities, professionals, schools, and care homes, with a focus on communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviors, sensory impairments, and reducing challenging behaviors to improve quality of life. She describes launching an advocacy service to help parents navigate UK processes such as EHCP reports and school documentation so children receive appropriate support.
The conversation addresses misconceptions about autism—especially the idea that “autism is a superpower”—and outlines autism “levels” (1–3) through the core assessment areas of communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors.
Faria also discusses the overlap between autism and anxiety, emphasizing routines and structure as key supports, and shares challenges including resistance from authorities and difficulties fundraising to create a safe care facility amid reports of abuse in care settings.
For Autism Awareness Month, she emphasizes that true inclusion requires asking autistic people and families what practical accommodations would help them participate in schools, workplaces, and communities, and she shares how to find her online via autismfoundation.co.uk and her social media profiles.
Welcome to 'Why Not Me' — Autism & Mental Health Worldwide
Meet Your Host Tony Mantor + Why Following Helps
Introducing Guest Faria Ash & Her Growing Autism Foundation (UK)
What’s Changed Since Last Time: Book Launch, Foundation, and Care Facility Vision
How the Autism Foundation Started: Aia’s Story & Toilet Training Breakthrough
Training the Community: Sensory Needs, Communication, and Challenging Behavior
Foundation Growth: Care Homes, Professional Training, and Parent Advocacy (EHCPs)
Fixing Misconceptions: Social Media, ‘Autism as a Superpower,’ and Nonverbal Reality
Where to Start When Learning Autism: The 3 Core Areas (Communication, Social, Repetitive)
Explaining Autism Levels 1–3 (and What They Look Like Day-to-Day)
Autism & Anxiety Overlap: Why Routine Helps and How to Support It
Hard Lessons Building a Foundation: Authorities, Funding, and Safe Care for Vulnerable Adults
The Parents’ Resilience: Stories That Keep the Mission Going
Beyond Awareness Month: What Real Inclusion Looks Like in Communities
One Misconception to End: ‘Autism Is a Superpower’
How to Connect with Faria + What’s Next for the Foundation
Final Thanks & How to Share Your Story with the Show
INTRO/OUTRO: T.Wild
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The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not re
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental
health worldwide.
Hosted by Tony Mentor.
Broadcasting from the heart ofMusic City, USA, Nashville,
Tennessee.
Join us as our guests sharetheir raw, powerful stories.
Some will spark laughter, otherswill move you to tears.
(00:30):
These real-life journeysinspire, connect, and remind you
that you're never alone.
We're igniting a global movementto empower everyone to make a
lasting difference by fosteringdeep awareness, unwavering
acceptance, and profoundunderstanding of autism and
(00:52):
mental health.
Tune in, be inspired, and joinus in transforming the world one
story at a time.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
Welcome to Why Not Me, EmbracingAutism and Mental Health
Worldwide.
If these conversations resonatewith you, I invite you to tap
(01:12):
follow.
It helps us to reach more peoplewho may need to hear them.
Thank you for being here.
Joining us today is Faria Arsh.
She was on this podcast about ayear and a half ago.
She shared powerful insightsabout autism advocacy and the
importance of community.
Since that conversation, shehasn't just continued the work,
she's taken it to an entirelynew level.
(01:34):
She is now the founder of agrowing autism foundation in the
UK, dedicated to empoweringindividuals on the spectrum,
supporting families, andbuilding real inclusion, not
just awareness.
So before we dive into ourepisode, we'll be back with an
uninterrupted show right after aword from our sponsors.
Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
No, thanks for having me.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
Oh, it's my pleasure.
Tell us about your journey sincewe last talked.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
So, since we last talked, that was probably at the
beginning of the launch of mybook, Toilet Training for
Autistic and Send Children andAdults.
Yes.
So I had recently launched mybook and we talked about that in
depth.
And since the launch, you know,I have um started a social
enterprise called the AutismFoundation.
(02:18):
And um also I have uh nowstarted a new project.
Basically, I want to get intothe care sector, and I am
raising funds to start a carefacility in the UK.
SPEAKER_00 (02:32):
So give us a little insight.
What inspired you to create theAutism Foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (02:36):
So the success of my book, which you know, is based
on the real life story of mydaughter Afia, who will be 18
next month.
SPEAKER_00 (02:44):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
So she's going to turn 18 years old.
Yes, I know.
I I can't I can't believe it.
Time is flying by.
So it's it's based on her reallife story.
It's based on how I created amethod for her to toilet train
her at home, failing all supportfrom um the you know health
sector, the education sector,because nobody knows how to
toilet train an autistic person,let alone a severely autistic
(03:08):
person who's completelynon-verbal as well.
So after creating that methodand launching the book, and the
success of the book led to theformation of autism foundation,
actually, because people startedasking me, can I do training
workshops which are linked tothe book?
And I was like, Yeah, of course,you know, I would love to do
that.
So I started doing those, whichwent really well.
And then some organizations theyapproached me saying, we really
(03:31):
need training on autism for thecommunity and for professionals
as well.
And they said, Are you able todevelop training for autism?
I said, Of course I can, becauseI've been working in special
schools for a long time.
And now I am an ADOS to trainassessor as well.
So then I develop autismtraining, which kind of dwells
(03:51):
into autism, communication,social interaction, repetitive
behavior.
I also look at sensoryimpairments because that is very
important.
It goes hand in hand withautism.
A lot of people miss sensoryimpairments, so I talk in depth
about sensory impairments andhow they affect an autistic
person.
And then the second part of thetraining is purely based on
(04:13):
behavior.
How can we support an autisticperson to overcome challenging
behavior?
Because autism comes withchallenging behavior as well,
which again, a lot of people maynot understand or realize that
how much challenging behavior isaffecting an autistic person's
quality of life.
So both my trainings are basedon improving the quality of life
(04:35):
of these autistic people andtheir families and professionals
as well.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
How long has it been since you launched the Autism
Foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
I launched it in October 2023.
So I had already been doing myworkshop since the launch of the
book, which was in March 2023,and then I made Autism
Foundation official in October2023.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
From October 2023 until now, how have you seen it
evolve and grow since the earlybeginnings of the foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (05:05):
It has evolved a lot because now we have a larger
community.
We have different peopleapproaching us because I get a
lot of queries from care homesas well.
So there are loads of care homeswho are, you know, catering for
autistic people.
And sadly, again, we come acrossthe same thing, which is people
who are working with autisticyoung adults or young children,
(05:27):
they don't have adequatetraining on autism and how to
support that autistic person.
So that's when theseorganizations and care homes
they approach me and I delivermy training.
And I've also started anadvocacy service because I
realized a lot of parents andtheir children were being let
down by the system becauseparents don't understand the
(05:50):
system that well.
SPEAKER_00 (05:51):
Can you give us an example of what you mean when
you say they don't understandthe system?
SPEAKER_01 (05:55):
For example, you know, it could be school reports
or an EHCP report.
We have that in the UK here.
It's uh the education andhealthcare plan.
Filling all of thosequestionnaires, doing all of
that is a lot of extra work tostart off with for a parent
who's already caring for anautistic child.
But how to navigate thosethings, that's another difficult
(06:15):
area because not every parent isgoing to have all the time in
the world to do research on howto build these forms, what to
say in the EHCP plan, and so on.
So that's where I have beenhelping parents to get the right
support.
Because when we fill in thequestionnaires properly, when we
do everything accordingly andhow it's supposed to be, then
these children get the rightsupport.
(06:37):
So that's what I have alsostarted doing.
SPEAKER_00 (06:39):
How do you help bring more community awareness
to autism?
Not only here in the US, but theUK and worldwide, people still
have this perception of whatthey think autism is.
Yeah.
But in real life, it's not evenclose to what it really is.
So how do you help bring thatperception to the community so
more people can understand whatautism is?
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
Again, this is what I will always say knowledge is
power.
We all equip ourselves with theright knowledge as well at the
same time because there's somuch out there these days,
especially with social media.
Anybody can say anything, but isit actually true?
You know, what is the basisbehind that?
What's the research behind that?
(07:23):
Are we doing enough research tofind out that message that I
heard on social media or onInstagram read was that accurate
enough?
So that comes down to us really.
As a community, we need to takethat responsibility that we need
to educate ourselves properly,and we only need to trust the
reliable sources like yourselfbecause you do your research
(07:44):
before you have your guests on,and you basically are very well
aware of what topics to talkabout, so that you are spreading
the awareness about autism, butyou're also spreading the right
awareness, you are not going onthe basis of whatever anybody
might say.
So it falls to us, but I try mybest through social media or you
know, through any means that Ihave that I can spread as much
(08:07):
awareness as possible aboutautism.
A lot of people, uh, when theyhear that Akia has autism, they
automatically ask me, Oh, what'sa special interest?
What's a superpower?
She must be so good at somethingspecific because I know autistic
people, they excel in one area.
Well, yes, they do, but only afew autistic people excel in one
(08:27):
area.
Okay, not everybody.
Autism is not a superpower.
Whenever I hear this peoplesaying, Oh, autism is a
superpower, it really makes meupset because you're kind of
highlighting just a few autisticpeople who are excelling, which
is amazing, and I'm so pleasedfor them.
But not the rest of the autisticpeople who are struggling every
(08:48):
single day due to the mostsimplest things.
What about them?
Because all of these like peoplewho don't know anything about
autism, all they see is thoseclips of autistic people
excelling in one area.
So when people ask me, it reallyupsets me because you know, we
are undermining the difficultiesAFIA is going through every
single day.
It's really hard for her, youknow, because impairments, she's
(09:11):
completely non-verbal.
I mean, imagine if somebody wereto put a tape on my mouth and
I'm not able to explain myselfor ask for things I want.
How frustrating that would be.
So that's Fia's life, and everyautistic person's life who's
non-verbal, and especially eventhose who are verbal, they
struggle to communicate.
So imagine putting a you know,tape, a masking tip across your
(09:32):
mouth, what being able tocommunicate.
That's an autistic person's lifeevery single day.
SPEAKER_00 (09:37):
Yeah, exactly.
If you were to pick one thingwhen a person is starting to
understand autism, they might befinding that they are autistic,
their child is autistic.
What is one thing they couldfocus on that could help them so
they could continue theirjourney to moving forward in
life?
SPEAKER_01 (09:55):
Again, it will be pretty individual because some
autistic people will um sufferwith specific sensory
impairments, for example, loudnoises, and they will be fine in
other areas of sensory issues orsensory integration.
It's very, very specific to eachautistic individual, if we were
to put it like that.
(10:15):
But when we look at autism, wealways look at three areas.
So, you know, I always knewthis, but when I was doing my
ADOS to assess the training, itwas really confirmed to me that
what I'm doing and teaching andwhat I know is accurate because
during the assessment of autism,we look at three areas.
We look at communication, welook at social interaction, and
we look at repetitive behavior.
(10:37):
So everybody on the spectrum,whether they're level one, level
two, or level three, they willhave impairments in these three
areas.
So even the most verbal autisticperson, they may still have
communication difficulties.
So communication doesn't justmean talking, it also means
understanding.
They may be able to talk, and tous, it may seem like okay, this
(11:00):
person is communicating justfine.
But are they understanding whatI'm saying?
Are they comprehendingeverything that I am saying?
Are they understanding andapplying that in real life
strategies?
Probably not, because they havethat communication difficulty.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:14):
One of the main things about this podcast is to
help people understand and learnmore.
Yes.
I believe every week I can havea listener that is just learning
about autism.
Can you explain the levels ofautism to these people that
might not understand it?
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
Of course, yes.
So let's start with level one.
That's basically described asmild autism.
Some people get offended when Isay mild because apparently
we're not supposed to use theword mild, moderate, and severe
anymore.
I don't believe in that if it ismild level one, you know, just
just say, say it.
It's just easier for people tounderstand.
Level one is mild, isn't it?
(11:50):
So if I were to look at somebodywho is on level one, they will
be verbal most of the times.
So they will be communicating,they'll have some speech.
But as I said, communicationdoesn't just mean speech, you
know, they may have someimpairment to understand what
everybody's saying, they maytake things literally all the
time because they won't have theunderstanding of, you know,
(12:11):
looking at it from differentpoint of views and so on.
They will definitely have socialinteraction difficulties.
I've never come across oneautistic person who doesn't
struggle with socialinteraction.
So even if you see that thecommunication is good, I will
know that person is autisticwith their interaction.
SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
Do a lot of people struggle with that interaction?
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
Every autistic person really struggles with
their interaction.
And either they don't know howto start the interaction,
because you and I, you know, ifyou bump into each other, we
will we will start small talk.
Oh, how are you, Tony?
Long time Nosy, and so on.
We can start a conversationwithout even thinking.
But an autistic person, they maybump into you, they go, hi
Faria, and then what's next?
(12:54):
Like they don't know what to sayand how to keep that
conversation going unless I talkabout something of their
interest, then they will talkforever.
So every autistic person, theyreally struggle with
interaction, even if they havethe communication.
And then the third area that welook at is the repetitive
behavior.
So they may say the same thingagain and again.
(13:15):
And um, autism also comes withanxiety.
So people who are on level one,they are aware that there's
something different about thembecause when they go out, they
feel anxious, they are awarethat okay, I'm not exactly the
same as everybody else, mycommunication is a bit
different, my interaction is abit different.
So they become really aware thatthey are different, although
(13:36):
they might be putting up a maskand blending into the world, but
they're internally aware of thatfact.
So that creates a lot of anxietywithin them.
So again, you know, we need tolook out for those signs.
If anybody is listening who doesnot know what autism is and what
level one is, those are thethings that you can look out
for.
You know, communication andsocial interaction is the main
(13:58):
one that you will see, and youwill be able to support an
autistic person from the crowdfrom the interaction.
And then we come to level two.
So again, you know, the moresevere you are going to go
towards the spectrum, then themore kind of difficulties you
will have, the more impairmentsand the more sensory impairments
that you will see in an autisticperson.
So I gave you an example oflevel one with communication and
(14:20):
social interaction.
Just imagine that getting alittle bit worse, you know, so
the communication will be alittle bit more poor and the
interaction will be harder, andthey may have more sensory
impairments because they mayreally struggle in a supermarket
because it's a crowded area,there's more noises, there's
more smells of different foods,and so on.
And then coming to the severeside of the spectrum, those like
(14:43):
AFIA, they're completelynon-verbal.
You know, some severely autisticpeople they may have a few words
here and there, but it's notenough for them to communicate
every single day.
So as we go across the spectrum,the difficulties will get more
and more, and and so on.
SPEAKER_00 (14:58):
You just mentioned anxiety.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (15:01):
I recently expanded my podcast to include mental
health.
I did that because I found thata lot of mental health issues
overlap with autism.
Of course.
Some people just have anxiety,they get their medication and it
is under control.
Others have anxiety and they'reautistic as well.
SPEAKER_01 (15:20):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:21):
How do you number one diagnose the overlap?
Once you find that overlap isthere, how do you help that
autistic person better controltheir anxiety?
SPEAKER_01 (15:31):
Yeah.
So the statistics show that morethan half of autistic people
suffer from anxiety.
So those are the stats,basically.
Anxiety is really, really highin the autistic population.
That is a given.
When it's about managinganxiety, there are a number of
strategies we can put in placeto manage an autistic person's
(15:55):
anxiety.
So this one area I cover in myautism training and I emphasize
on that quite a lot, which isthe repetitive behavior, which I
talked about a few times.
Now, a lot of people think therepetitive behavior of an
autistic person as an impairmentor as kind of like something
negative.
For example, the autisticpeople, you know, anybody who
(16:17):
has autism, they thrive on doingthe same thing again and again
because it makes sense to them,because they're aware of what's
going to happen next, and thatkeeps the anxiety at bay.
So it's easy for them to do thesame thing again and again.
Follow a specific routine, andthat helps to keep the anxiety
manageable.
(16:38):
A lot of people think if theautistic person is following a
specific routine every singleday, we are making them more
rigid.
But I look at it from anotherpoint of view, a completely
different point of view.
And I say, look, autistic peoplewill always want to follow a
routine because it makes senseto them.
(16:58):
And hence let's use that to helpthem manage their anxiety
better.
And we all are creatures ofhabit, occupers, all human
beings.
If I were to ask you, Tony, howdo you get out of bed every
single morning?
How do you get ready?
Now you're forced to think howyou do that.
I can bet on it that you do itthe same way every single day
(17:19):
without even thinking.
SPEAKER_00 (17:20):
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (17:21):
Am I correct?
SPEAKER_00 (17:22):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (17:23):
Yes.
And we all do that.
The things that we do everysingle day, we are not even
having to think about it.
We do it on autopilot because weall rely on structure and
routine without even realizing.
You know, a long time ago, weset that structure in our lives
and we follow that.
So it's the same for autisticpeople.
I come across a lot ofprofessionals and teachers.
(17:45):
And also at home, parents arereally concerned and teachers
are concerned about the factthat this autistic person is
really rigid and they shouldadapt change and they should do
things differently.
But I say, why?
What if I come to your house andchange everything?
Would you like it?
No, you wouldn't.
Nobody would.
Because we all like a routine,we all rely on structure.
(18:07):
But autistic people rely onstructure more than anybody else
because it makes sense to them.
If they've done it a few times,they know the pattern of doing
it again and they will carry ondoing it.
And it helps the anxiety becausethey're not expecting the
unexpected, you know, it reallyhelps the anxiety.
So putting in a routine, astructure in an autistic
(18:29):
person's life is the best way tomanage their anxiety.
I would really emphasize this toall the professionals, all the
parents, that if an autisticperson is rigid and they want to
do things in a specific way, letthem.
It makes sense to them.
Unless it's actually creating avery negative habit and it's
becoming a hindrance in theirlives and everybody else's life,
(18:49):
then of course change that.
But if they are managing theirlife better, they're happy,
their anxiety is lower, let themdo it.
There's no harm in that.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
Exactly.
Now coming back to yourfoundation, when you start a
foundation, it is not easy.
SPEAKER_01 (19:05):
No, not at all.
SPEAKER_00 (19:06):
What has been one of the toughest lessons you've
learned in doing this?
You started this foundationunderstanding autism because of
raising your daughter.
So because of that, you knewcertain things would happen and
you understood it.
But when you're starting afoundation and you're working
with other people, there'schallenges you face, bumps in
(19:28):
the road.
So, what is one of the toughestlessons you've learned in this
journey?
SPEAKER_01 (19:33):
My toughest lesson has been dealing with
authorities.
They have been the mostdifficult ever.
My easiest climbs are parentsbecause I understand where
they're coming from.
They know I'm a parent of aseverely autistic child and we
gel really well and so on.
I work with a lot of schools, Iwork with, as I said, care sex
(19:56):
sectors.
All of those times they havebeen easy enough, but the
toughest journey so far has beendealing with authorities because
authorities are so rigid intheir own way of not wanting any
change because here I'm bringingchange.
I've launched this book ontoilet training.
Authorities are not happy aboutthe fact that, oh, the NHS did
(20:18):
not come up with a book.
How come this mother has come upwith a book?
So authorities are finding itvery, very difficult to accept.
I have had some people from theNHS who recognize how good the
book is, how good the method is.
They have welcomed me into theirhospitals and trained other
people over there, which hasbeen really nice.
But the wider authority, gettingmy message across to them, is
(20:38):
really difficult because they'reso rigid in their own ways and
they don't accept changewhatsoever.
So that's been a huge challengefor me.
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
I can understand that.
Any other challenges?
SPEAKER_01 (20:48):
Another challenge is now, as I said, I have started a
GoFundMe page for to branch outin the care sector and raising
money for such a good cause.
Actually, this is a really goodcause because we need to provide
the safe place for autistic anddisabled people.
And currently, I'm sure Tony,you are aware as well, in the
USA, in the UK, we see this inthe news all the time.
(21:10):
There is so much abuse happeningwith autistic and disabled
people in these care homes, inthese care sectors.
And for parents like myself, welive in the fear of, of course,
we're not going to be in thisworld for the rest of our lives.
What is going to happen to ourchildren after we are born?
We live with this fear everysingle day.
We see this in the news thatthese autistic and disabled
(21:32):
people who literally cannotspeak and defend themselves are
being abused.
So what hope do we have?
I am basically trying to createa safe place for these autistic
and most vulnerable people inour society.
But sadly, not many people areeven supportive of this.
Everybody turns a blind eyebecause as soon as we see some
abuse on the news, we justchange the channel.
(21:53):
We're like, okay, it's too hardto watch.
I'm not going to watch itanymore.
Change the channel, brush itunder the rug so that it's not
there.
Nobody knows about what'shappening.
Just parents like myself, we arereally aware because it affects
our children and us, we watchthat news, doesn't matter how
hard it is.
So despite the fact that it issuch an important cause, it's
such a noble cause, raisingmoney has been really difficult.
(22:16):
It's sad in a way because itjust shows how much the world
cares about vulnerable people.
Sadly, you know, we are on ourown, to be honest, at the end of
the day.
SPEAKER_00 (22:26):
Yeah, that's true.
Whenever you hear a story, lotsof times stories will stay with
you.
SPEAKER_01 (22:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
Is there a child or a family that reminds you of why
you do this work?
Even on the harder days?
SPEAKER_01 (22:39):
Is there a child or a family?
SPEAKER_00 (22:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
Uh you know what?
I have come across so manyamazing parents, and I know
their children through them.
I don't directly get to workwith the children because my
primary role is working with theparents, professionals, and you
know, other care sectors totrain them on autism and how to
cater for people with autism.
(23:02):
But as I said, my favorite andmy best times are these parents.
And is there a specific parent?
Um, I may not have a specificone, but I've got so many
amazing parents, and we formedsuch beautiful relationships
because we all understand eachother.
We have formed a beautifulcommunity for each other and
support network.
Each parent, this is what Iwould say.
(23:23):
They're working really hard.
They are literally trying theirbest.
And I kid you not, I get to hearstories such as the child has
been awake since four o'clock inthe morning, the parents have
been on the go constantly, themom hasn't had a chance to have
a meal, and the child'sconstantly self-harming and
whatever, and they've only hadfour hours of sleep.
(23:45):
It's like these stories whichare constant and it's happening
every single day.
But the resilience these parentshave, it's unbelievable.
It's so heartwarming, it'slovely, but at the same time,
it's just a sad story that thesepeople are going through so
much, but at the same time,their resilience is really
inspiring.
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
April is Autism Awareness Month, and this
episode will be in that month.
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
What do you feel is true inclusion?
When we have Autism AwarenessMonth, it goes so far past being
aware of it.
It is real inclusion in school,work, and communities.
How do we get this across topeople that there needs to be
more understanding than justmore awareness?
SPEAKER_01 (24:31):
Yes, of course.
And I really like that, uh,Tony, what you've said.
So there needs to be inclusivityas well, as you know, alongside
awareness.
Because awareness on its own,what are we achieving if we are
not actually taking the nextstep, isn't it?
So we have to take the next stepwhich is going to make a real
life impact in an autisticperson's life.
(24:52):
Otherwise, awareness on its ownisn't really making an impact,
to be honest.
What I would say is ask theautistic person if they are well
enough, or ask their parents andfamilies, how can we make this
autistic person more inclusivein our community?
That is the best way.
Because let's say, you know, I'ma Muslim woman and I don't get
(25:13):
to go go to the mosque, orsomebody who is a church
go-goer, they may not be able togo to the church because they
are caring for their autisticson or autistic daughter on a
Sunday.
If the church or mosqueapproaches them and they go, if
you would like to come, we wouldlove to welcome you.
How can we make it moreinclusive for your daughter or
(25:34):
your son?
Then I can give them tips andadvice.
I can say, actually, can youtell everybody to manage their
noises?
Or can you, you know, dim thelights a little bit because my
child is quite sensitive tolights?
Or can you have specific snacksbecause my child really likes it
and they'll be happier if theysee those snacks are there?
Every autistic individual isdifferent.
(25:55):
And to make the community moreinclusive, we need to take this
first step of reaching out tothese autistic people and their
families and saying, what is thebare minimum we can do to make
this autistic person and youfeel more included in the
community?
SPEAKER_00 (26:10):
Now you've been doing this for a long time.
You've been raising yourdaughter almost 18 years now.
With all the information that isout there about autism, all the
conversations people have hadabout autism.
What is the one misconceptionthat you think is still
prevalent that needs to beaddressed?
SPEAKER_01 (26:28):
As I was saying before, this comes to my mind
again and again that autism is asuperpower.
That misconception really needsto go.
Even even if you see the mostable autistic person who's
thriving, who has a specialinterest on social media and you
know they're doing really wellin their lives.
Even if you were to go and askthem, do you think autism is a
superpower?
(26:49):
they will start no because theystill have those challenges with
anxiety.
They will, they're bound to havechallenges regardless of how
they present themselves becausethey have autism.
And uh yeah, it's not asuperpower.
I'm sorry, guys.
If if this offends somebody, Ireally apologize because that's
not my intention.
This misconception of autismbeing a superpower, I think that
(27:11):
needs to be stopped.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
How do people find you?
SPEAKER_01 (27:14):
So they can go on my website,
www.autismfoundation.co.uk.
I'm available on social media.
So Facebook, if they type in myname Faria Ursh, they can find
me there.
If you type in Autism Foundationon Instagram, you'll find Autism
Foundation.
And I'm also on LinkedIn with myname Faria Ursh.
(27:36):
And we also have an autismfoundation page.
SPEAKER_00 (27:39):
What do you see in your future?
What is next for yourfoundation?
What do you see on the horizon?
SPEAKER_01 (27:45):
So my um driving force at the moment is working
and expanding into the caresector.
And I know it is possible.
I know it's possible to hiregood people who are
compassionate to work withautistic and disabled people.
I know that I can personallyprovide them adequate and high
quality training so they arewell equipped to support an
(28:08):
autistic and disabled person.
And I know that this change ispossible.
It's not rocket science.
You know, we just need to investmoney and time into the right
area.
So we are enhancing the life ofthe service user.
So that is my big project comingup, and I'm working really hard
behind the scenes.
Not a lot is happening in frontof the scenes.
(28:29):
Like at the moment, not manypeople can see what I'm doing to
do with the care sector, but I'mhaving to work a lot behind the
scenes, and hopefully everythingwill start surfacing very soon.
SPEAKER_00 (28:39):
Yeah, I hope so too.
Well, this has been great.
Great information, greatconversation.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to join me today.
SPEAKER_01 (28:48):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been a pleasure speakingwith you, Tony.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (28:51):
Oh, it's been my pleasure.
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking time out ofyour busy schedule to listen to
our show today.
We hope you enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed bringing it to
you.
If you know someone who has astory to share, tell them to
(29:14):
contact us at why notme.world.
One last thing.
Spread the word about why notme.
Our conversations, our inspiringguests that show.
You are not alone in this world.
Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental
health worldwide.
Hosted by Tony Mentor.
Broadcasting from the heart ofMusic City, USA, Nashville,
Tennessee.
Join us as our guests sharetheir raw, powerful stories.
Some will spark laughter, otherswill move you to tears.
(00:30):
These real-life journeysinspire, connect, and remind you
that you're never alone.
We're igniting a global movementto empower everyone to make a
lasting difference by fosteringdeep awareness, unwavering
acceptance, and profoundunderstanding of autism and
(00:52):
mental health.
Tune in, be inspired, and joinus in transforming the world one
story at a time.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
Welcome to Why Not Me, EmbracingAutism and Mental Health
Worldwide.
If these conversations resonatewith you, I invite you to tap
(01:12):
follow.
It helps us to reach more peoplewho may need to hear them.
Thank you for being here.
Joining us today is Faria Arsh.
She was on this podcast about ayear and a half ago.
She shared powerful insightsabout autism advocacy and the
importance of community.
Since that conversation, shehasn't just continued the work,
she's taken it to an entirelynew level.
(01:34):
She is now the founder of agrowing autism foundation in the
UK, dedicated to empoweringindividuals on the spectrum,
supporting families, andbuilding real inclusion, not
just awareness.
So before we dive into ourepisode, we'll be back with an
uninterrupted show right after aword from our sponsors.
Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
No, thanks for having me.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
Oh, it's my pleasure.
Tell us about your journey sincewe last talked.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
So, since we last talked, that was probably at the
beginning of the launch of mybook, Toilet Training for
Autistic and Send Children andAdults.
Yes.
So I had recently launched mybook and we talked about that in
depth.
And since the launch, you know,I have um started a social
enterprise called the AutismFoundation.
(02:18):
And um also I have uh nowstarted a new project.
Basically, I want to get intothe care sector, and I am
raising funds to start a carefacility in the UK.
SPEAKER_00 (02:32):
So give us a little insight.
What inspired you to create theAutism Foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (02:36):
So the success of my book, which you know, is based
on the real life story of mydaughter Afia, who will be 18
next month.
SPEAKER_00 (02:44):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
So she's going to turn 18 years old.
Yes, I know.
I I can't I can't believe it.
Time is flying by.
So it's it's based on her reallife story.
It's based on how I created amethod for her to toilet train
her at home, failing all supportfrom um the you know health
sector, the education sector,because nobody knows how to
toilet train an autistic person,let alone a severely autistic
(03:08):
person who's completelynon-verbal as well.
So after creating that methodand launching the book, and the
success of the book led to theformation of autism foundation,
actually, because people startedasking me, can I do training
workshops which are linked tothe book?
And I was like, Yeah, of course,you know, I would love to do
that.
So I started doing those, whichwent really well.
And then some organizations theyapproached me saying, we really
(03:31):
need training on autism for thecommunity and for professionals
as well.
And they said, Are you able todevelop training for autism?
I said, Of course I can, becauseI've been working in special
schools for a long time.
And now I am an ADOS to trainassessor as well.
So then I develop autismtraining, which kind of dwells
(03:51):
into autism, communication,social interaction, repetitive
behavior.
I also look at sensoryimpairments because that is very
important.
It goes hand in hand withautism.
A lot of people miss sensoryimpairments, so I talk in depth
about sensory impairments andhow they affect an autistic
person.
And then the second part of thetraining is purely based on
(04:13):
behavior.
How can we support an autisticperson to overcome challenging
behavior?
Because autism comes withchallenging behavior as well,
which again, a lot of people maynot understand or realize that
how much challenging behavior isaffecting an autistic person's
quality of life.
So both my trainings are basedon improving the quality of life
(04:35):
of these autistic people andtheir families and professionals
as well.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
How long has it been since you launched the Autism
Foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
I launched it in October 2023.
So I had already been doing myworkshop since the launch of the
book, which was in March 2023,and then I made Autism
Foundation official in October2023.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
From October 2023 until now, how have you seen it
evolve and grow since the earlybeginnings of the foundation?
SPEAKER_01 (05:05):
It has evolved a lot because now we have a larger
community.
We have different peopleapproaching us because I get a
lot of queries from care homesas well.
So there are loads of care homeswho are, you know, catering for
autistic people.
And sadly, again, we come acrossthe same thing, which is people
who are working with autisticyoung adults or young children,
(05:27):
they don't have adequatetraining on autism and how to
support that autistic person.
So that's when theseorganizations and care homes
they approach me and I delivermy training.
And I've also started anadvocacy service because I
realized a lot of parents andtheir children were being let
down by the system becauseparents don't understand the
(05:50):
system that well.
SPEAKER_00 (05:51):
Can you give us an example of what you mean when
you say they don't understandthe system?
SPEAKER_01 (05:55):
For example, you know, it could be school reports
or an EHCP report.
We have that in the UK here.
It's uh the education andhealthcare plan.
Filling all of thosequestionnaires, doing all of
that is a lot of extra work tostart off with for a parent
who's already caring for anautistic child.
But how to navigate thosethings, that's another difficult
(06:15):
area because not every parent isgoing to have all the time in
the world to do research on howto build these forms, what to
say in the EHCP plan, and so on.
So that's where I have beenhelping parents to get the right
support.
Because when we fill in thequestionnaires properly, when we
do everything accordingly andhow it's supposed to be, then
these children get the rightsupport.
(06:37):
So that's what I have alsostarted doing.
SPEAKER_00 (06:39):
How do you help bring more community awareness
to autism?
Not only here in the US, but theUK and worldwide, people still
have this perception of whatthey think autism is.
Yeah.
But in real life, it's not evenclose to what it really is.
So how do you help bring thatperception to the community so
more people can understand whatautism is?
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
Again, this is what I will always say knowledge is
power.
We all equip ourselves with theright knowledge as well at the
same time because there's somuch out there these days,
especially with social media.
Anybody can say anything, but isit actually true?
You know, what is the basisbehind that?
What's the research behind that?
(07:23):
Are we doing enough research tofind out that message that I
heard on social media or onInstagram read was that accurate
enough?
So that comes down to us really.
As a community, we need to takethat responsibility that we need
to educate ourselves properly,and we only need to trust the
reliable sources like yourselfbecause you do your research
(07:44):
before you have your guests on,and you basically are very well
aware of what topics to talkabout, so that you are spreading
the awareness about autism, butyou're also spreading the right
awareness, you are not going onthe basis of whatever anybody
might say.
So it falls to us, but I try mybest through social media or you
know, through any means that Ihave that I can spread as much
(08:07):
awareness as possible aboutautism.
A lot of people, uh, when theyhear that Akia has autism, they
automatically ask me, Oh, what'sa special interest?
What's a superpower?
She must be so good at somethingspecific because I know autistic
people, they excel in one area.
Well, yes, they do, but only afew autistic people excel in one
(08:27):
area.
Okay, not everybody.
Autism is not a superpower.
Whenever I hear this peoplesaying, Oh, autism is a
superpower, it really makes meupset because you're kind of
highlighting just a few autisticpeople who are excelling, which
is amazing, and I'm so pleasedfor them.
But not the rest of the autisticpeople who are struggling every
(08:48):
single day due to the mostsimplest things.
What about them?
Because all of these like peoplewho don't know anything about
autism, all they see is thoseclips of autistic people
excelling in one area.
So when people ask me, it reallyupsets me because you know, we
are undermining the difficultiesAFIA is going through every
single day.
It's really hard for her, youknow, because impairments, she's
(09:11):
completely non-verbal.
I mean, imagine if somebody wereto put a tape on my mouth and
I'm not able to explain myselfor ask for things I want.
How frustrating that would be.
So that's Fia's life, and everyautistic person's life who's
non-verbal, and especially eventhose who are verbal, they
struggle to communicate.
So imagine putting a you know,tape, a masking tip across your
(09:32):
mouth, what being able tocommunicate.
That's an autistic person's lifeevery single day.
SPEAKER_00 (09:37):
Yeah, exactly.
If you were to pick one thingwhen a person is starting to
understand autism, they might befinding that they are autistic,
their child is autistic.
What is one thing they couldfocus on that could help them so
they could continue theirjourney to moving forward in
life?
SPEAKER_01 (09:55):
Again, it will be pretty individual because some
autistic people will um sufferwith specific sensory
impairments, for example, loudnoises, and they will be fine in
other areas of sensory issues orsensory integration.
It's very, very specific to eachautistic individual, if we were
to put it like that.
(10:15):
But when we look at autism, wealways look at three areas.
So, you know, I always knewthis, but when I was doing my
ADOS to assess the training, itwas really confirmed to me that
what I'm doing and teaching andwhat I know is accurate because
during the assessment of autism,we look at three areas.
We look at communication, welook at social interaction, and
we look at repetitive behavior.
(10:37):
So everybody on the spectrum,whether they're level one, level
two, or level three, they willhave impairments in these three
areas.
So even the most verbal autisticperson, they may still have
communication difficulties.
So communication doesn't justmean talking, it also means
understanding.
They may be able to talk, and tous, it may seem like okay, this
(11:00):
person is communicating justfine.
But are they understanding whatI'm saying?
Are they comprehendingeverything that I am saying?
Are they understanding andapplying that in real life
strategies?
Probably not, because they havethat communication difficulty.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:14):
One of the main things about this podcast is to
help people understand and learnmore.
Yes.
I believe every week I can havea listener that is just learning
about autism.
Can you explain the levels ofautism to these people that
might not understand it?
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
Of course, yes.
So let's start with level one.
That's basically described asmild autism.
Some people get offended when Isay mild because apparently
we're not supposed to use theword mild, moderate, and severe
anymore.
I don't believe in that if it ismild level one, you know, just
just say, say it.
It's just easier for people tounderstand.
Level one is mild, isn't it?
(11:50):
So if I were to look at somebodywho is on level one, they will
be verbal most of the times.
So they will be communicating,they'll have some speech.
But as I said, communicationdoesn't just mean speech, you
know, they may have someimpairment to understand what
everybody's saying, they maytake things literally all the
time because they won't have theunderstanding of, you know,
(12:11):
looking at it from differentpoint of views and so on.
They will definitely have socialinteraction difficulties.
I've never come across oneautistic person who doesn't
struggle with socialinteraction.
So even if you see that thecommunication is good, I will
know that person is autisticwith their interaction.
SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
Do a lot of people struggle with that interaction?
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
Every autistic person really struggles with
their interaction.
And either they don't know howto start the interaction,
because you and I, you know, ifyou bump into each other, we
will we will start small talk.
Oh, how are you, Tony?
Long time Nosy, and so on.
We can start a conversationwithout even thinking.
But an autistic person, they maybump into you, they go, hi
Faria, and then what's next?
(12:54):
Like they don't know what to sayand how to keep that
conversation going unless I talkabout something of their
interest, then they will talkforever.
So every autistic person, theyreally struggle with
interaction, even if they havethe communication.
And then the third area that welook at is the repetitive
behavior.
So they may say the same thingagain and again.
(13:15):
And um, autism also comes withanxiety.
So people who are on level one,they are aware that there's
something different about thembecause when they go out, they
feel anxious, they are awarethat okay, I'm not exactly the
same as everybody else, mycommunication is a bit
different, my interaction is abit different.
So they become really aware thatthey are different, although
(13:36):
they might be putting up a maskand blending into the world, but
they're internally aware of thatfact.
So that creates a lot of anxietywithin them.
So again, you know, we need tolook out for those signs.
If anybody is listening who doesnot know what autism is and what
level one is, those are thethings that you can look out
for.
You know, communication andsocial interaction is the main
(13:58):
one that you will see, and youwill be able to support an
autistic person from the crowdfrom the interaction.
And then we come to level two.
So again, you know, the moresevere you are going to go
towards the spectrum, then themore kind of difficulties you
will have, the more impairmentsand the more sensory impairments
that you will see in an autisticperson.
So I gave you an example oflevel one with communication and
(14:20):
social interaction.
Just imagine that getting alittle bit worse, you know, so
the communication will be alittle bit more poor and the
interaction will be harder, andthey may have more sensory
impairments because they mayreally struggle in a supermarket
because it's a crowded area,there's more noises, there's
more smells of different foods,and so on.
And then coming to the severeside of the spectrum, those like
(14:43):
AFIA, they're completelynon-verbal.
You know, some severely autisticpeople they may have a few words
here and there, but it's notenough for them to communicate
every single day.
So as we go across the spectrum,the difficulties will get more
and more, and and so on.
SPEAKER_00 (14:58):
You just mentioned anxiety.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (15:01):
I recently expanded my podcast to include mental
health.
I did that because I found thata lot of mental health issues
overlap with autism.
Of course.
Some people just have anxiety,they get their medication and it
is under control.
Others have anxiety and they'reautistic as well.
SPEAKER_01 (15:20):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:21):
How do you number one diagnose the overlap?
Once you find that overlap isthere, how do you help that
autistic person better controltheir anxiety?
SPEAKER_01 (15:31):
Yeah.
So the statistics show that morethan half of autistic people
suffer from anxiety.
So those are the stats,basically.
Anxiety is really, really highin the autistic population.
That is a given.
When it's about managinganxiety, there are a number of
strategies we can put in placeto manage an autistic person's
(15:55):
anxiety.
So this one area I cover in myautism training and I emphasize
on that quite a lot, which isthe repetitive behavior, which I
talked about a few times.
Now, a lot of people think therepetitive behavior of an
autistic person as an impairmentor as kind of like something
negative.
For example, the autisticpeople, you know, anybody who
(16:17):
has autism, they thrive on doingthe same thing again and again
because it makes sense to them,because they're aware of what's
going to happen next, and thatkeeps the anxiety at bay.
So it's easy for them to do thesame thing again and again.
Follow a specific routine, andthat helps to keep the anxiety
manageable.
(16:38):
A lot of people think if theautistic person is following a
specific routine every singleday, we are making them more
rigid.
But I look at it from anotherpoint of view, a completely
different point of view.
And I say, look, autistic peoplewill always want to follow a
routine because it makes senseto them.
(16:58):
And hence let's use that to helpthem manage their anxiety
better.
And we all are creatures ofhabit, occupers, all human
beings.
If I were to ask you, Tony, howdo you get out of bed every
single morning?
How do you get ready?
Now you're forced to think howyou do that.
I can bet on it that you do itthe same way every single day
(17:19):
without even thinking.
SPEAKER_00 (17:20):
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (17:21):
Am I correct?
SPEAKER_00 (17:22):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (17:23):
Yes.
And we all do that.
The things that we do everysingle day, we are not even
having to think about it.
We do it on autopilot because weall rely on structure and
routine without even realizing.
You know, a long time ago, weset that structure in our lives
and we follow that.
So it's the same for autisticpeople.
I come across a lot ofprofessionals and teachers.
(17:45):
And also at home, parents arereally concerned and teachers
are concerned about the factthat this autistic person is
really rigid and they shouldadapt change and they should do
things differently.
But I say, why?
What if I come to your house andchange everything?
Would you like it?
No, you wouldn't.
Nobody would.
Because we all like a routine,we all rely on structure.
(18:07):
But autistic people rely onstructure more than anybody else
because it makes sense to them.
If they've done it a few times,they know the pattern of doing
it again and they will carry ondoing it.
And it helps the anxiety becausethey're not expecting the
unexpected, you know, it reallyhelps the anxiety.
So putting in a routine, astructure in an autistic
(18:29):
person's life is the best way tomanage their anxiety.
I would really emphasize this toall the professionals, all the
parents, that if an autisticperson is rigid and they want to
do things in a specific way, letthem.
It makes sense to them.
Unless it's actually creating avery negative habit and it's
becoming a hindrance in theirlives and everybody else's life,
(18:49):
then of course change that.
But if they are managing theirlife better, they're happy,
their anxiety is lower, let themdo it.
There's no harm in that.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
Exactly.
Now coming back to yourfoundation, when you start a
foundation, it is not easy.
SPEAKER_01 (19:05):
No, not at all.
SPEAKER_00 (19:06):
What has been one of the toughest lessons you've
learned in doing this?
You started this foundationunderstanding autism because of
raising your daughter.
So because of that, you knewcertain things would happen and
you understood it.
But when you're starting afoundation and you're working
with other people, there'schallenges you face, bumps in
(19:28):
the road.
So, what is one of the toughestlessons you've learned in this
journey?
SPEAKER_01 (19:33):
My toughest lesson has been dealing with
authorities.
They have been the mostdifficult ever.
My easiest climbs are parentsbecause I understand where
they're coming from.
They know I'm a parent of aseverely autistic child and we
gel really well and so on.
I work with a lot of schools, Iwork with, as I said, care sex
(19:56):
sectors.
All of those times they havebeen easy enough, but the
toughest journey so far has beendealing with authorities because
authorities are so rigid intheir own way of not wanting any
change because here I'm bringingchange.
I've launched this book ontoilet training.
Authorities are not happy aboutthe fact that, oh, the NHS did
(20:18):
not come up with a book.
How come this mother has come upwith a book?
So authorities are finding itvery, very difficult to accept.
I have had some people from theNHS who recognize how good the
book is, how good the method is.
They have welcomed me into theirhospitals and trained other
people over there, which hasbeen really nice.
But the wider authority, gettingmy message across to them, is
(20:38):
really difficult because they'reso rigid in their own ways and
they don't accept changewhatsoever.
So that's been a huge challengefor me.
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
I can understand that.
Any other challenges?
SPEAKER_01 (20:48):
Another challenge is now, as I said, I have started a
GoFundMe page for to branch outin the care sector and raising
money for such a good cause.
Actually, this is a really goodcause because we need to provide
the safe place for autistic anddisabled people.
And currently, I'm sure Tony,you are aware as well, in the
USA, in the UK, we see this inthe news all the time.
(21:10):
There is so much abuse happeningwith autistic and disabled
people in these care homes, inthese care sectors.
And for parents like myself, welive in the fear of, of course,
we're not going to be in thisworld for the rest of our lives.
What is going to happen to ourchildren after we are born?
We live with this fear everysingle day.
We see this in the news thatthese autistic and disabled
(21:32):
people who literally cannotspeak and defend themselves are
being abused.
So what hope do we have?
I am basically trying to createa safe place for these autistic
and most vulnerable people inour society.
But sadly, not many people areeven supportive of this.
Everybody turns a blind eyebecause as soon as we see some
abuse on the news, we justchange the channel.
(21:53):
We're like, okay, it's too hardto watch.
I'm not going to watch itanymore.
Change the channel, brush itunder the rug so that it's not
there.
Nobody knows about what'shappening.
Just parents like myself, we arereally aware because it affects
our children and us, we watchthat news, doesn't matter how
hard it is.
So despite the fact that it issuch an important cause, it's
such a noble cause, raisingmoney has been really difficult.
(22:16):
It's sad in a way because itjust shows how much the world
cares about vulnerable people.
Sadly, you know, we are on ourown, to be honest, at the end of
the day.
SPEAKER_00 (22:26):
Yeah, that's true.
Whenever you hear a story, lotsof times stories will stay with
you.
SPEAKER_01 (22:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
Is there a child or a family that reminds you of why
you do this work?
Even on the harder days?
SPEAKER_01 (22:39):
Is there a child or a family?
SPEAKER_00 (22:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
Uh you know what?
I have come across so manyamazing parents, and I know
their children through them.
I don't directly get to workwith the children because my
primary role is working with theparents, professionals, and you
know, other care sectors totrain them on autism and how to
cater for people with autism.
(23:02):
But as I said, my favorite andmy best times are these parents.
And is there a specific parent?
Um, I may not have a specificone, but I've got so many
amazing parents, and we formedsuch beautiful relationships
because we all understand eachother.
We have formed a beautifulcommunity for each other and
support network.
Each parent, this is what Iwould say.
(23:23):
They're working really hard.
They are literally trying theirbest.
And I kid you not, I get to hearstories such as the child has
been awake since four o'clock inthe morning, the parents have
been on the go constantly, themom hasn't had a chance to have
a meal, and the child'sconstantly self-harming and
whatever, and they've only hadfour hours of sleep.
(23:45):
It's like these stories whichare constant and it's happening
every single day.
But the resilience these parentshave, it's unbelievable.
It's so heartwarming, it'slovely, but at the same time,
it's just a sad story that thesepeople are going through so
much, but at the same time,their resilience is really
inspiring.
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
April is Autism Awareness Month, and this
episode will be in that month.
SPEAKER_01 (24:12):
Amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
What do you feel is true inclusion?
When we have Autism AwarenessMonth, it goes so far past being
aware of it.
It is real inclusion in school,work, and communities.
How do we get this across topeople that there needs to be
more understanding than justmore awareness?
SPEAKER_01 (24:31):
Yes, of course.
And I really like that, uh,Tony, what you've said.
So there needs to be inclusivityas well, as you know, alongside
awareness.
Because awareness on its own,what are we achieving if we are
not actually taking the nextstep, isn't it?
So we have to take the next stepwhich is going to make a real
life impact in an autisticperson's life.
(24:52):
Otherwise, awareness on its ownisn't really making an impact,
to be honest.
What I would say is ask theautistic person if they are well
enough, or ask their parents andfamilies, how can we make this
autistic person more inclusivein our community?
That is the best way.
Because let's say, you know, I'ma Muslim woman and I don't get
(25:13):
to go go to the mosque, orsomebody who is a church
go-goer, they may not be able togo to the church because they
are caring for their autisticson or autistic daughter on a
Sunday.
If the church or mosqueapproaches them and they go, if
you would like to come, we wouldlove to welcome you.
How can we make it moreinclusive for your daughter or
(25:34):
your son?
Then I can give them tips andadvice.
I can say, actually, can youtell everybody to manage their
noises?
Or can you, you know, dim thelights a little bit because my
child is quite sensitive tolights?
Or can you have specific snacksbecause my child really likes it
and they'll be happier if theysee those snacks are there?
Every autistic individual isdifferent.
(25:55):
And to make the community moreinclusive, we need to take this
first step of reaching out tothese autistic people and their
families and saying, what is thebare minimum we can do to make
this autistic person and youfeel more included in the
community?
SPEAKER_00 (26:10):
Now you've been doing this for a long time.
You've been raising yourdaughter almost 18 years now.
With all the information that isout there about autism, all the
conversations people have hadabout autism.
What is the one misconceptionthat you think is still
prevalent that needs to beaddressed?
SPEAKER_01 (26:28):
As I was saying before, this comes to my mind
again and again that autism is asuperpower.
That misconception really needsto go.
Even even if you see the mostable autistic person who's
thriving, who has a specialinterest on social media and you
know they're doing really wellin their lives.
Even if you were to go and askthem, do you think autism is a
superpower?
(26:49):
they will start no because theystill have those challenges with
anxiety.
They will, they're bound to havechallenges regardless of how
they present themselves becausethey have autism.
And uh yeah, it's not asuperpower.
I'm sorry, guys.
If if this offends somebody, Ireally apologize because that's
not my intention.
This misconception of autismbeing a superpower, I think that
(27:11):
needs to be stopped.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
How do people find you?
SPEAKER_01 (27:14):
So they can go on my website,
www.autismfoundation.co.uk.
I'm available on social media.
So Facebook, if they type in myname Faria Ursh, they can find
me there.
If you type in Autism Foundationon Instagram, you'll find Autism
Foundation.
And I'm also on LinkedIn with myname Faria Ursh.
(27:36):
And we also have an autismfoundation page.
SPEAKER_00 (27:39):
What do you see in your future?
What is next for yourfoundation?
What do you see on the horizon?
SPEAKER_01 (27:45):
So my um driving force at the moment is working
and expanding into the caresector.
And I know it is possible.
I know it's possible to hiregood people who are
compassionate to work withautistic and disabled people.
I know that I can personallyprovide them adequate and high
quality training so they arewell equipped to support an
(28:08):
autistic and disabled person.
And I know that this change ispossible.
It's not rocket science.
You know, we just need to investmoney and time into the right
area.
So we are enhancing the life ofthe service user.
So that is my big project comingup, and I'm working really hard
behind the scenes.
Not a lot is happening in frontof the scenes.
(28:29):
Like at the moment, not manypeople can see what I'm doing to
do with the care sector, but I'mhaving to work a lot behind the
scenes, and hopefully everythingwill start surfacing very soon.
SPEAKER_00 (28:39):
Yeah, I hope so too.
Well, this has been great.
Great information, greatconversation.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to join me today.
SPEAKER_01 (28:48):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been a pleasure speakingwith you, Tony.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (28:51):
Oh, it's been my pleasure.
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking time out ofyour busy schedule to listen to
our show today.
We hope you enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed bringing it to
you.
If you know someone who has astory to share, tell them to
(29:14):
contact us at why notme.world.
One last thing.
Spread the word about why notme.
Our conversations, our inspiringguests that show.
You are not alone in this world.
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