My story
In 2023 (aged 18) I was diagnosed with autism after a life of always feeling like I was different. It made everything make sense. Autism services across the UK are in a dire state, meaning that Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have no post-diagnosis support for mental health conditions caused by autism, or occupational therapy to help people like me function in a world that isn’t built for us and our brains. I want to do this walk to hopefully create more support options and most of all acceptance and understanding of what autism means and is. I am so proud to be autistic and always will be!