David

I had such a fantastic time meeting and talking to David; he is a lecturer at my University, where I completed both my BA and MA. David received his autism diagnosis at age 60, and has accomplished so much throughout life from a successful military career, owning multiple business, winning awards and he is a published author; his story is nothing short of inspiring.

‘I am a late diagnosed autistic person, having been formally assessed in my 60th year. I had approached my local doctor for advice on assessment for Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), only to be challenged with “why bother, at your age?” I could not answer at the time. However, I felt I would get little help from the NHS. However, although I could not answer the question then, I felt I could not let the issue drop. I went private and was assessed as autistic in 2019.

In 60 years, I knew something was not quite right in my world. Or rather, my world and the world many others seemed to occupy appeared, on many occasions, to be out of alignment. At times, this misalignment has not mattered. At times it has been a strength—allowing me to achieve a great many things: I am still the only person I know who completed a PhD in three years’ part-time study, winning two awards for research excellence and publishing my findings as an academic monograph, while at the same time running one of my businesses, employing staff and paying taxes. At other times, this misalignment has been a weakness—preventing me from achieving my potential.

Does it matter that, past the age of 60, I now understand that the misalignment I have experienced, and continue to do so, is autism? Well, yes. It does. The misalignment is not just mine; it is other’s as well. It tells me, for example, that my career trajectory as an Officer in the Royal Air Force could have been so much more, had both sides been aware that ASC was a “thing” even in the days, weeks, months and years that followed the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and the demise of the Cold War. Having had several special recommendations for promotion downgraded by my seniors, not because of poor performance, but because, in the words of one senior officer: “…there are aspects of [my] personality which [he found] uncomfortable”. My personality aside, I had demonstrated, at a young age (30), that I had been capable enough to manage a team of software engineers responsible for supporting the UK’s Military Satellite Communication System. What else could I have done there?

If my autism has held me back, it has also driven me forward. I have been an entrepreneur, founding award-winning businesses, and I have been given the opportunity to teach in Higher Education. This is despite a profound inability to interview well. In forty years, I have failed to successfully ‘pass’ the face-to-face interview for any job I have applied for, including the position of lecturer I now hold. Yet, I look back on a lifetime of achievements, a proud dad, grandfather and husband. And, with more projects on the go, I look forward with an autistic’s profound interest in the study of the future—to an inclusive, more equitable socio-economic future, one better suited to a more diverse population. A more aligned future.’ - David