Alex Manners

‘My name is Alex Manners, 24 and I’m an Asperger’s champion, public speaker, presenter and author. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s when I was 10 years old. As soon as I received my diagnosis my dad told me that I should not be worried about having Asperger’s as lots of our family have Asperger’s traits and that it gives me special powers. So, from then on, I have always viewed my Asperger’s as something positive and something that I feel extremely lucky to have been able to manage over the past 24 years. However, its not all been easy. There have been many challenges along the way and my time at school was very traumatic. Going to school used to feel like I was going to prison and it was a real struggle for my mum to get me in everyday. Meltdowns were frequent during my time at school and something that I still have today.  

Football is my whole life and I think about football all of the time. It has given me another focus in life and has always been a way to allow me to de-stress. A few years ago I started my own “Autism & Football” campaign to enhance the match day experience for those with hidden disabilities. I can name every ground name in the top 5 tiers of English football, completed my quest to watch a match at all 92 English Football League clubs and filmed the home matches of my local club Solihull Moors for 2 seasons for BT Sport.  

I now present talks all about “My Life Living with Asperger’s” to lots of different companies, law firms, universities and colleges all over the world. I have also written and published a book called “That’s Not Right! My Life Living with Asperger’s”, presented my own children’s radio show for 2 years and appeared on series 10 and 11 of ‘The Undateables’ on Channel 4. There are many positive elements of my Asperger’s. For example, I can stand up and speak in front of large numbers of people without any worries. This is just one of my ‘Asperger’s Superpowers’ and because I will have Asperger’s for the rest of my life, then these superpowers are the things I like to focus on every day. To me life is an adventure and I want to spend it “pursuing my passions”. That’s why I will never give up until my ambitions are achieved. 

Remember that everyone with Asperger’s is unique and needs to be treated as an individual and with empathy. Whatever your circumstances are never let them define you. If you are prepared to put the hard work in and have determination, then I believe you can achieve anything you want.’ - Alex