Healthwatch Kingston chats to Mario for Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Neurodiversity Celebration Week takes place from 17-23 March 2025.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week aims to help the world understand, value, and celebrate the talents of neurodiverse minds and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. As the NHS defines it, neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in how people think, learn, and process information. Neurodivergent conditions include Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, and Tourette’s Syndrome.

We spoke with Mario, a Kingston resident who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, about his experiences and his role in helping local people with learning disabilities and autism have their voices heard.

Interview

HWK: Hi Mario, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your role at Involve?

Mario: My name is Mario, and I’m a peer advocate for Involve Kingston. I work with Kingston Council, and I speak up for people who have autism, learning disabilities and complex needs who live in the Royal Borough of Kingston. 

We attend various meetings, such as transport meetings, Hospital meetings at Kingston Hospital as well as Kingston Council as well as attending the comms meeting with the comms team every few months.

We also work with Healthwatch Kingston and attend the All Age Learning Disability Partnership Board Meeting.

We help create Easy Read documents, where we put pictures on the left and text on the right so people can read documents easily. 

We also do online activities for service users who feel lonely and would like to be involved with these activities such as online karaoke, which takes place on Monday afternoons, as well as an online quiz and Bingo which takes place on Thursday afternoons. 

HWK: Do you enjoy your role at Involve?

Mario: Yes, I really enjoy my job. I am learning new skills.

HWK: What are your hobbies, the things that you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Mario: My hobbies are listening to music. Reading, visiting new places and meeting friends. 

HWK: Can you tell me if you have a neurodiversity diagnosis? If so, what is it? 

Mario: I got diagnosed with autism and Asperger’s in 1999.  

HWK: Did you find the process of receiving a diagnosis difficult or easy?

Mario: I don’t really remember the process of getting diagnosed with Asperger’s and autism as I was too young at the time. My parents managed it.

HWK: Is there anything you would say to somebody who is in the process of obtaining a diagnosis? 

Mario: I would say for someone to do their research. If your son or daughter gets diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s, maybe do some research, be patient as it is a long process.

HWK: Would you say you face any challenges in your day-to-day life as a result of your autism or Asperger’s 

Mario: I’d say that I like routine, so I like to have set times to do things such as going for a walk, but sometimes I have to adjust.  

HWK: Are there elements of your autism or Asperger’s that you would like to celebrate?

Mario: I’d say that I feel proud of how far I have come since I was a young boy. When I was younger, I would scream a lot. I didn’t have any eye contact. I still like to do a routine, as I mentioned.

When I was younger, I didn’t have any other people around, only my parents. I am a happy and polite person now and my confidence has improved over the years. 

HWK: Do you find some people struggle to understand you? If so, what would you say to these people? 

Mario: I’d say people need to be patient and to speak clearly and be more understanding of people with neurodiversity and autism. 

Thank you to Mario for taking the time to chat with us and for all his and his fellow peer advocates' great work speaking up for people who have autism, learning disabilities and complex needs.