[Speaker 2] (0:02 – 1:59)
Hello, this is Anna Kennedy and we’re talking all things autism on women’s radio promoting mental health well-being. So it’s been a busy week yet again because obviously we are preparing for Autism’s Got Talent and also we’re preparing for the Autism Hero Awards. So it’s busy, busy, busy here on the charity.

Before I go over to my guest, Kyle, Jamie Eldridge, just want to share with you about a book that’s been shared with me. As you know, I get sent so many different books. So this one is called Autism for Adults.

It’s an approachable guide to living excellently on the spectrum and it’s by Daniel M Jones. We’ve been following each other for quite a few years now. So it’s the ultimate handbook for success on the spectrum written by the creator of the Aspen World, the UK largest channel for autism education.

So an autistic influencer, an educator, an advocate. Daniel Jones is an expert on living well on the spectrum. He’s here to explain everything he’d learned and then some in this instruction manual and memoir about life as an autistic person.

Dan’s book is packed with actionable advice that you can immediately start putting into practice. So if you want to have a look at this, it’s really, really a good book and it’s had quite good few reviews yet. And so it’s Daniel M Jones.

So it’s www.theaspiworld.com or just say that again, www.theaspiworld.com. So my guest today is Kyle Jamie Eldridge and he’s 26 years old, living in Abigabenny. He’s a town and community counselor and he’s about to start his final year in University of South Wales, Newport City campus, the business management with the hope of entering the civil service once he graduates.

So Kyle at the minute is at university, so you might hear a little bit of background noise. But hey, hi, Kyle. Thanks for taking the time out to talk to me.

[Speaker 1] (2:00 – 2:14)
No problem, Anna. Nice to speak to you all the way from Wales. Wales is just next door to England, so it’s not far away as people may think.

[Speaker 2] (2:15 – 2:19)
So how is university going at the moment for you? I know you’ve only just started.

[Speaker 1] (2:20 – 3:09)
How is university going? Well, we had Freshers Week last week and we’re having Immersive Learning Week. Well, it’s a bit hard for me doing the various things that I do to transition into the Freshers, which unfortunately I didn’t go, but I will be going to my Immersive Learning Week.

But when you’re at your final year in university, I think you’re set ready to go into the world of work, actually, after doing your final year. I mean, it’s just like final year. You just want to get it over and done with so you can go out into the wider world really.

So yeah, I just need to attend the sessions next week and my learning timetable begins next week.

[Speaker 2] (3:09 – 3:24)
Oh, wow. OK, well, I wish you all the best for this year, your final year. So the people listening in, obviously I’ve given a little bit of a biography of who you are.

But talk to me a little bit about you, Kyle, growing up. And have you always lived in Wales?

[Speaker 1] (3:27 – 5:57)
Well, I tell you what, what’s the phrase that you said? You mentioned the book earlier, and I always think that I do not judge a book by its cover. And what I mean by that is everyone’s got so much to speak about and then meets the eye.

Well, I haven’t lived in Wales all my life. Of course, I’m 26 years old. But I come from Kettering, North Hampshire, which is in the East Midlands of England.

And since then, I lived in four locations, which is Wellingborough, Kettering, Rushton. Wellingborough, Burton, and Rushton in North Hampshire. Then moved to West Drayton within Greater London and then moved to Wales, which is in my third home.

So all in all, I’ve lived in six places and eight different homes since my inception. So I’ve lived in many places. North Hampshire, when I recently went back, it’s a very nice place.

It’s where I grew up. But unfortunately, it’s extremely poor today. And of course, in Greater London, nothing’s ever static within Greater London.

There’s always something happening. But within Wales, I mean, Abercrombie, is known as the Gateway to Wales. And it sits right on the Welsh, near the English border.

And it’s a very nice place to live. And I’m certain in Abercrombie because my mum and my uncle live there. But it’s very known as a very affluent area.

But of course, there is poverty still there. But Abercrombie is a very, very nice place to live. We actually came up in the fourth best place to live in Wales.

And I think 40, if my memory serves me, I think it’s about, I think, like 44 or something in the top places to live in the United Kingdom. So it’s definitely a place to live. So yeah, you can say I’m settled, finally.

[Speaker 2] (5:57 – 6:13)
Yeah, I usually haven’t gone to Wales. I always find everyone so friendly. So yeah, the Welsh people are very friendly people.

So talk to me about growing up, going to school, going to college. And how old were you when you were first diagnosed on the autism spectrum?

[Speaker 1] (6:14 – 9:22)
Of course. Well, I mean, growing up, really, I always knew I was different, really. I mean, for example, I had my earliest memories of being myself up until about a couple of months old.

I still remember now my first nightmares. Still remember my first nightmares walking on my father’s shoulders across when we used to go to the supermarket in Barcelona. But yeah, I remember my first meltdowns at three years old in the university and how teachers used to say to my father and mother, your son is a very difficult child.

And yeah, and for example, I had a statement of special needs going back to the early 2000s, what the phrase was called. And then we had a diagnosis I did in the fall of 2011 in Russian Community Hospital. So I was 14 years old at the time, but I showed various signs of difficult behavior in their words, not mine, from a very young, very early age, really.

So having autism, I always used to have extreme obsessions about my favorite train book or my favorite marble runs while I was at nursery. And it was translated into specific subjects like dials. I used to just have a go through a phase.

I was obsessed with this. I was obsessed with that. And that side of my thing never has left me, really.

But yes, my family, but going with my diagnosis, of course, my parents couldn’t deal with it very well. And well, in the fall of, well, in the start of 2012, my brother, because my family was adopted across many parts of the United Kingdom, my uncle at the time moved to Wales, got adopted by a couple from Ponty Paul in South Wales. And I mean, 30 years down the road in 2012, my mum met up with him and we went to Wales for the first time.

And my brother, we went for a holiday for the first time in Wales. And then when we came back, my brother already left home. And after that, after that, a couple of months down the road, we left to go to, my mum left home.

She went to go to live in Wales, whereas still in North Hampshire with me and my father and my brother.

[Speaker 2] (9:23 – 9:30)
What did you think of Wales? What did you think of Wales? Did you like it straight away or did it take time to sort of grow on you, if you like?

[Speaker 1] (9:32 – 10:04)
Well, no, no slur upon the English communities now. I actually found Wales much more, much more community orientated. You actually feel like you actually are someone, because, for example, with English counties, they’re very, very huge, very densely populated.

Whereas in Abigabenny, very insular community, they know who you are. You actually feel like there’s that on Monica, everyone in Wales knows everyone. So I say be careful.

[Speaker 2] (10:05 – 10:12)
Smaller community then. Do you actually live on the university campus or do you have your own place?

[Speaker 1] (10:13 – 10:57)
Oh, no, no, no, no. So I’ve lived on my own since 2000 and second of the second 2015 and in Abigabenny. And I’ve always said, and Newport is just about a train ride from Abigabenny and I always commute.

And I always, people have said to me, why don’t you live in Newport or Cardiff? And I thought, give up a house in Abigabenny and where 3,000 people on the home search list want to live in this area. It’s in high demand living in Abigabenny, it’s a very nice area.

So I think I wouldn’t give up living in Abigabenny by a long shot, really, because I love it too much.

[Speaker 2] (10:57 – 11:14)
Oh, it sounds like it from what you’re telling me. So you got diagnosed quite early on when you were 14. So can I just ask about how were exams for you at school?

Did you manage to get through them all here or did you need assistance or how was it for you?

[Speaker 1] (11:16 – 11:51)
I mean, looking back to my time towards Anna, it was very weird actually now because my family are breaking up really. I went through a period of not going to school and not doing so well. And it was just like at the time, at the time, I didn’t really speak about what I was going through at the time.

And as a result, I only left school with minimal free three GCSEs. And then it was very, very, very tough time.

[Speaker 2] (11:51 – 12:04)
It sounds like it was tough. So what you’re trying to say to me, if you don’t mind me saying, is that your parents broke up and obviously you found that quite tough. And it happened around the time you were doing your exams.

Is that right?

[Speaker 1] (12:05 – 12:25)
Yeah, exactly. That was round about the same time as 2012. And by the time I left home in October, I was already a month into my final year of school.

[Speaker 2] (12:26 – 12:32)
OK, I’m with you. So now you’ve gone to university. So did you pick up your studies a bit later on in your life?

[Speaker 1] (12:32 – 13:29)
I did. So after going to London and suffering a further traumatic period, when I moved to Wales, I suffered another traumatic period. It’s been a long journey.

But I went to an education centre in Abercrombie and then I went to do four years in college. I tried many different professions, such as skills with further study, catering. And then I decided I had enough grades and all that to go to do business in college.

I finally got up to five. So I went to do business management. And then after that, I applied to university because although I am a counsellor, politics is not a very stable field because if you don’t get voted for, you basically you’re without a job.

[Speaker 2] (13:29 – 13:32)
It’s not very stable around at the moment, is it?

[Speaker 1] (13:33 – 14:47)
No, no, no, it’s definitely not. I think to myself, business really, I mean, from the humble shopkeeper to the chief executive officer, the business is everywhere. And businesses are very, very, very practical, especially right at the time when you see in society about our university course is either going to get you from A to Z.

But I think business is an utterly practical course worth studying because business is everywhere. It is everywhere. It really gives you a thing to branch out into various different fields.

So it was all about practicality, really, because let’s just say throughout my life, I’ve been withdrawn from many stuff. And once I found out that this is available, this is available, et cetera, let’s just say I’m still hungry. As the Rocky film goes, I’m still hungry.

I’m still hungry for opportunities. I just like to get I just really like to get involved, really. And my passion hasn’t wavered because the thing that drives my passions today in terms of helping others.

[Speaker 2] (14:48 – 15:23)
We want to set up a business. Is it something that you want to do personally? Like, would you like to be on your own business or do you want to work with somebody else?

I’m saying this is because obviously I do know of, say, for example, one of my ambassadors, Ben, he bought his own business. But obviously it has it has its challenges as well. And it’s obviously you’re responsible for, you know, employees, you’re responsible for the business ticking over.

And obviously everything that’s going on in the world at the moment, it’s very uncertain. So do you think you might like to set up your own business or do you think you want to might work with somebody else?

[Speaker 1] (15:25 – 15:53)
I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know the possibility there because, to be honest, there’s many things that I’m involved with, not just being a counselor, going to university. There’s so many different facts.

So I think that anything that takes my fancy, really, because I’m still thinking about it. I’m still thinking about it. Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (15:53 – 15:56)
OK. Talk to me about being a counselor. How did that come about?

[Speaker 1] (15:59 – 17:56)
Well, I got into politics by accident, really. And I don’t come from a political family. I really don’t because my family were living off state benefits and we haven’t been really political minded.

So when when I was in college at the time, the whole Brexit referendum was happening and it was a big time for our country. And I thought, oh, what’s this? And people said to me, oh, why didn’t you vote?

I said, I don’t even know who I’m voting for. So I didn’t vote in the Brexit referendum. But after I spoke to a professor who’s the Liberal Democrat, rather than say you should join the Lib Dems, which he did, and he’s quite fair.

He gave me a quiz to say what political manifesto do you belong to when I filled it out, honestly, as I could. And I was Labour. I thought, well, I’d better join.

So I joined. And then once I joined, I had many party positions, going to conferences, meeting famous people, etc. And then when the when the local elections came about and I just put myself forward.

And that was a brave thing to do as a Labour candidate. And plus, I always I was already invested in my community. So I knew many things at the moment.

So when I put myself forward and come the election night in. Well, of course, they always have in a sports hall. It’s always that setting.

And on the seats I wanted to in my town and community council seats, I had I had the most I had the most votes out of all the other candidates. I mean, one of my seats was held by six independent six, six people, five, one Labour. And the rest were independents.

And I won a big twenty four percent.

[Speaker 2] (17:56 – 17:57)
And when you see the.

[Speaker 1] (17:59 – 18:50)
Well, yeah, when you see the pie charts, I mean, there’s only four people that can go into the seat to got eliminated. And you just saw a big big red blob on the pie. And I thought, well, that’s me.

So I got the highest percentage. And even even with our town council award, he was a Labour award. And the incumbent there, Faber Garenne was standing and good friend of mine.

But even I got more votes than him on the seats. I got more votes than the two Labour candidates. So it’s something that people were stopping me in the street when I was walking down and said, did you win?

I said, yes. And they said, I didn’t vote for anyone else but you because I know you. So I got more votes than I got.

I got more votes to the Independents, more votes to the incumbent there. So it was a happy night for me. It was a very happy night.

[Speaker 2] (18:51 – 18:57)
So how how was it for you when you were trying to canvas for votes? Did you find that quite easy? What did you do?

[Speaker 1] (18:58 – 20:47)
I mean, to be honest, Lisa Tinn is I love Lisa Tinn. I mean, I love absolutely. Can this thing I mean, I knock on the door.

It’s just like if you vote Labour, et cetera. I mean, the thing is, it’s about talking about the local issues first of all. And that’s what I am.

That’s what I’m focused on speaking about the local issues. But I have to say it’s a hard task because you’ve got public what the local authority does and then what the council can do. And you have to balance in between.

And I know how the local authority was. You have to understand how they work because it can be seen very bureaucratic. Counselors, you have to know how to manage personalities because once human emotions came, it’s afraid the picture can get quite sticky.

But with the public, I mean, for example, if you have disagreements with the public and how angry they get, you still got to get on with them. And even when people disagree with me or disagree with them, they still love me. Even I get on with the conservative conservatives as well.

And they like me. And also, because I write a few articles in my space, I know how the media works. I always make sure that my media image is fair and to the point.

And it’s a balancing act. And it’s about being cool under the collar. And I absolutely still so passionate about my job.

And I tell you what, I love I love people and I love solving problems because it’s just like I’ve got I’ve got elected to do this job. And I’m not in it for myself. I’m in it for others.

And if I was in it myself, well, I think I should think about tendering my resignation as quickly if I thought it was in it myself.

[Speaker 2] (20:47 – 20:54)
So when you started canvassing straight away, did you make it known to everyone that you were on the autism spectrum? Did you tell?

[Speaker 1] (20:57 – 21:19)
I mean, they when they I mean, when they probably. Well, I put in my election, I put in my thing to the Labour Party that I had a developmental condition. I mean, most of the public knew.

OK. Well, when they. So I mean, I was very, very autistic and I was very autistic and proud.

So good.

[Speaker 2] (21:20 – 21:35)
So you should be. So you should be. So can you can you remember any problems that you might have overcome with this?

It might have come to you. Is there something that you had to sort out?

[Speaker 1] (21:35 – 22:28)
I mean, we face it. We always face it every day. There’s always something you have when you have a vibrant social media and press.

I mean, main issues that we’re working on is. I mean, first of all, we’ve got active travel, which is making our town more accessible in terms of active travel. Speak to the public about that.

I always when I when we do Q&A is I always try and ask keep to the point questions. We’ve got my day in my life that’s proving very, very controversial at the moment, which is a disabled centre closing down. I mean, I still put myself out there to help this group into any advice that I wish to give them.

We’ve got 20 miles per hour. That’s a Welsh government and the local authority thing.

[Speaker 2] (22:30 – 22:39)
That’s proving very controversial, but I know they’re talking about it over here in England. I know a lot of people are not happy about it.

[Speaker 1] (22:40 – 23:06)
Yes. I mean, another one is local bus stops, which is unfortunately we discuss the public. I see why they’re so angry at the moment sometimes because they’re the last people to know.

And when they come to us with problems and we thought and I always think to myself, I discussed that we discussed that ages ago. But this is this is why the public is so angry because they’re the last ones to know.

[Speaker 2] (23:06 – 23:06)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (23:08 – 23:43)
And then the last issue is the last issue that we’re working on is, I mean, road emergency and travel sites. But also at the same time, we are doing our place making plans and we are trying to regenerate all of our major urban areas within Monmouth. Yeah.

And Abigail is fairly doing well. We’ve got we’ve got a third of a million budget to spend. But the thing is, we need to do a massive exercise in terms of what should we spend the money on based on the public.

[Speaker 2] (23:44 – 23:44)
Definitely.

[Speaker 1] (23:46 – 23:48)
I mean, I’m sorry.

[Speaker 2] (23:50 – 23:55)
I’m just going to ask you what are the autism services like where you live in Abigail.

[Speaker 1] (23:56 – 24:51)
Well, I always think to myself, if you wanted to be a big of an effective community activist, you always got to get on the right side of your local authority. Yeah. And like the autism lead in Monmouth is like she’s like my mother and she’s like my mother.

And as I chair the Gwent Autism Steering Group with five local authorities across the Gwent region, I speak to many partners and I know what’s happening on the ground today. Okay. Autism services in Abigail, I mean, it’s going through a major shift.

They’re in the statute, but in Welsh government at the moment, there is big reform of services of how people are, of how people are being diagnosed in schools and etc.

[Speaker 2] (24:51 – 24:55)
Is there a long wait time? Is there a long wait time to get diagnosed?

[Speaker 1] (24:56 – 26:12)
That’s what they’re still trying to bridge. They are. They’re still trying to bridge that.

But I mean, it’s a lack of autism awareness services. I mean, businesses across the board are going through EDI strategies at the moment. I mean, I mean, I myself have got a hand in shaping the school, the autism in schools across Monmouthshire, well, as a county.

But EDI is a big thing. But this is the thing. I mean, this affects services and service users all across the board.

But what I think to myself is, across Abigail, it’s still a work in progress. But yeah, if you could focus on the EDI services, that’s great. But I mean, how much of a benefit is it going to have?

Because are you only doing EDI services to say, oh, yes, look at us, we’re a good organisation. We’re providing for people. Or do you actually care?

Because it’s not all about getting money. It’s about basically seeing if the service is effective to the customers, really, which is to service users. And it’s still a work in progress.

But EDI seeing in Abigail in Monmouthshire and the whole of Wales, it’s a very big exercise at the moment across the board.

[Speaker 2] (26:13 – 26:15)
Do you actually go into schools and talk about autism?

[Speaker 1] (26:17 – 26:42)
I have been invited after the back of my BBC interview, but not quite yet. I haven’t been invited to a school. I mean, I mean, me standing in the hall, me standing in a hall in front of a bunch of a bunch of a bunch of children.

It’s very daunting prospectory. I would be very scared.

[Speaker 2] (26:43 – 27:33)
Yeah, I think you’d do a good job. I think that after you’ve done your first one, you’d get used to it. So you don’t have to do it in the hall.

You could actually go from classroom to classroom in a smaller class sizes. That might work for you. Yeah, no, I think it would be really good if you could.

Because when I know when I’ve been into schools to talk, you know, you get some children that come up to you and think I might be autistic. I’ve had some children that have come up to me and said, oh, my brother’s autistic. Thank you for talking about it.

You know, I’m so pleased that you’ve shared it with my classmates type of thing. So, you know, a lot of people get, you know, a lot out of someone like yourself talking about your story or talking about what works for you. So how do you think that your autism has shaped your life today?

Because that was a question you wanted me to ask you.

[Speaker 1] (27:34 – 30:23)
Of course, I would say it’s given me a large amount of clarity because I’m a very, very clear thinker in terms of ideas. It’s like when I sit in during a council meeting and some councillors speak for hours on a subject where you just need to have a short contribution. But when I think of stuff that I even myself, I’m surprised that.

And this is the thing, I don’t really understand human communication still to this day. I’m not antisocial, but I’m asocial. But I think to myself in terms of autistic people about having not been scared of who they are, of how they express themselves.

And just imagine it’s not nothing is right or wrong in this world. There is nothing right or wrong. Because, for example, a person could say something, it may be slightly, slightly incorrect in certain contexts.

But in a right context, this contribution could mean a lot. But this is the thing, it’s about encouraging people to be comfortable in who they are and to say that their contribution is valued. Because, I mean, there’s so many things in this world, Anna, that is so narrow minded thinking.

It’s like, oh, autistic people present barriers to learning. That’s so not true, because this is basically saying you’re supposed to study like this and this and this, and that’s it. I mean, that’s not necessarily true.

It’s like, I’ll name an example where I went around a friend’s house and there was this autistic son playing with the guns. Rather than me saying, can you put the gun down and speak to me? He would probably say, no, he would probably get aggressive.

But what I did was I said, do you mind if I play with that as well? And then once I came alongside him, I wouldn’t speak down to him. He absolutely opened up.

And it’s about your approach, really, about how to encourage autistic people to make their contribution heard. Rather than say, your behavior is wrong, you need to improve. I mean, for example, I think, let’s be honest, I think that’s an abuse of power, really.

I think that’s a really big abuse of power. It’s about, we all have a contribution to make, but I think to myself, is everyone making their contribution on equal basis? And I’ll leave that out there.

[Speaker 2] (30:23 – 30:55)
OK, I was reading an article just recently and we just posted it up on our charity website on the concerns and arises over the accuracy of autism information on social media. And what is your opinion about that? Because there’s a lot of stuff out there, especially on TikTok now, that people or students or teenagers or whoever it may be are taking as gospel as what they’ve heard on TikTok or whichever social media channel.

It would maybe. What’s your opinion?

[Speaker 1] (30:57 – 32:21)
Well, I mean, that was it was that this is what she one of raised a very interesting point. This is one of the things I mentioned to one voice way to give training to local to counselors and public servants. And I said to him, I said to him, you do a training course in relation to accuracy and information because everything what you see on social media today, I mean, they always think it’s true.

I mean, the thing is, in terms of information, what is true and what is not, I mean, it’s like. I mean, one of those famous philosophers said always question everything. And to be honest, you’re not going to get a well rounded view of something if you if you don’t speak to an autistic person themselves.

I mean, you may it’s like a school or something. They may think an autistic person acts like this and this and this. You see many books by academics say this is how their brains work, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

But you don’t know that if you don’t speak to them. So I have to say. Seeing on social media about some autistic people, this and this and this, I have to say, it’s like you have to speak to them first, really.

[Speaker 2] (32:22 – 33:16)
So I think the thing is, they need to know that, you know, everyone is an individual, everyone is different. And, you know, as this article, I just wanted to share with everyone that they found that only 20 percent of the most viewed videos were accurate. Thirty two percent being overgeneralized and a troubling 41 percent category, totally inaccurate.

Equality significant with the absence of significant disparities and engagement between videos that were accurate and those that were inaccurate or overgeneralized. This perhaps suggests that misleading or overly simplified content on autism can accumulate as much attention as precise information, potentially perpetuating misconceptions that I do. I find that quite worrying that people are going to TikTok and various other social media sites to find out about autism.

[Speaker 1] (33:17 – 34:08)
So I actually find it worrying too, really, because it’s just like, I mean, unfortunately, when I see misinformation, I just I really win sometimes, especially when members of the public are terribly misinformed and how they take this view and it fuels their behaviour. And they go down in a big in a in a in a very aggressive route. And just like when I tell them the fact, I tell them why.

And then it just shatters their point of view. And I just think to myself is you need to you need to not believe everything you see on social media. You need to effectively question it with the facts.

And it’s a hard thing.

[Speaker 2] (34:08 – 34:50)
It’s a very hard thing. It is because when, you know, parents, their children are diagnosed with information, there’s so much stuff out there. There’s so many different approaches as well.

As I’ve always said, there’s no one actually that sits down with you and says, this would be the best approach for your loved one. You know, try this. Because I think when I my boys were first diagnosed, I think I counted something like 17 different ways of working with, you know, children on the spectrum.

And it’s obviously it’s quite overwhelming. So when you were diagnosed at age 14, do you do any research or to find out exactly what it was about? Or did you have some sort of idea?

Have you already done some research?

[Speaker 1] (34:51 – 35:44)
I mean, I got given a book really, but I’ll be honest. Your question is not really something I’ve had asked, but I mean, but that’s good, really. I mean, that’s good.

But to be honest, when I got autism, I went into this virus. Oh, I’m missing this. I thought there was something wrong with it.

But this is the thing. Autism is something I’ve had since a very young age. I’ve always knew I was different.

And it’s like I feel like when you’re diagnosed, you’ve got autism. There’s a book on this. There’s a book on this.

They say, I think it’s in a certain way, it says, this is what you have. This is what’s wrong with you. And I feel like, for example, when you have that label autism, you’d be socially conditioned to say there is something wrong with you.

[Speaker 2] (35:47 – 35:58)
I don’t think it’s something wrong with you. I think you just think differently for me. As you said earlier, it’s not wrong or right.

It’s just you think differently.

[Speaker 1] (35:59 – 36:55)
Yeah, of course. But I mean, what I mean by it is it’s just like people think, oh, he’s straying away from conventional thinking, which is that in a normal world, they won’t succeed. I do think of that view.

So in regards to that viewpoint, I do feel like I was socially conditioned into having this specific label. But it’s just like I always have that question. Would you would you what would you do if you didn’t have autism?

I said autism and me is a part of this is a part of life. I am something that I can’t be coyote without being autistic. It’s it’s who I am.

[Speaker 2] (36:55 – 37:00)
You were born this as an autistic person, so you don’t know any difference.

[Speaker 1] (37:01 – 37:28)
No, no. And I do believe I was socially conditioned, really. But to be honest, I feel right to myself is I’m quirky.

But guess what? Someone said to me once, you’re not weird, weird, but you’re quirky, which means which means it’s just like I mean, if it’s not harming anyone, I can enjoy my own. I can enjoy my own weirdness.

[Speaker 2] (37:28 – 37:33)
So yeah, I think what do you do to relax?

[Speaker 1] (37:35 – 39:21)
I mean, when I have a conversation with someone, whether it be an international student or a provost chancellor. So I was speaking to my provost chancellor this morning. I can have a conversation about anything.

Whereas a conversation about an academic subject. I mean, I do like having a good having a good discussion. So when I speak, I play as a Sunday hobby.

I meet my elderly friends. He’s a counselor. He used to be the used to be the leader of the London Housing Authority during the 70s.

And we play chess every Sunday. I’m a good chess player. I guess he’s very much he’s very he’s better than me.

But I because he’s had many years of experience, but I do give him a run for his money. But it helps you relax. Yeah, my wife, you were relaxed as well.

I watched a lot of documentaries. I watched a hell of an amount of documentaries. My recent document, what my recent documentary that I wrote, that I watched was recent documentary was quite a many channels on YouTube, like people’s profiles.

My people’s profiles to Instagram graphic show, et cetera. I watched documentaries on anything that comes to mind, mostly historic.

[Speaker 2] (39:21 – 39:42)
But my son, my eldest son Patrick, he loves he doesn’t really watch TV. He likes to watch YouTube documentaries. He’s a big fan of Elon Musk.

He likes anything to do with nature, paleontology, anything like that. That’s his he just loves. And he also likes watching crime documentaries, why people do the things that they do.

[Speaker 1] (39:43 – 40:44)
Yes, of course. And to be honest, and to be honest with my documentaries, I. It’s like foreign foreign countries, I like foreign cultures as well.

When I just recently come out from London, I went to Windsor Castle, which was fantastic. I went to Kew Gardens, but I went to I went to a Georgian. I went to a Georgian restaurant in Islington because I do like foreign foods.

And I went to a Georgian restaurant, not Georgia as in America, but Georgia in the Turkey. And, yeah, and it was it was enormously it was enormously enjoyable. And I do.

I’m I a good cook. Well, I’ve done a catering course, but I’m just I’m just I’m too busy to cook, really.

[Speaker 2] (40:45 – 41:03)
OK, so there’s a couple of questions that you’d like me to ask you. So I’d like to get them in. You know, we still got another 15 minutes.

And so you’ve asked me about to ask you is the future welcoming for autistic people in Britain?

[Speaker 1] (41:05 – 43:39)
It’s the future welcoming for people in Britain. I would say I would say maybe maybe because I think it is getting better. I think it is getting better.

I I do think that. I do think that the current mental health crisis, in particular in Britain, did illustrate that no matter who you are, your your class, your background, et cetera, whether you are autistic, ADHD, even so even with you don’t have a registered disability. I mean, no one is normal.

And I do think that opens up a big leeway for compassion and understanding within British society. OK. And the thing is, organizations are moving on the FBI.

But the thing is, I mean, for autistic people to ensure their future within Britain as a collective, they need to they need to integrate with the world. They need to integrate with the world because, for example, I mean, despite the communities out there, I mean, some I meet some people who are very, very reciprocal of the disabled community very, very good. And it gives us a good opening for autistic people to be there.

But at the same time, there’s still people who have got a bit to learn in the autistic community as well. There’s people who really want to overcome the stereotypes of the world doesn’t accommodate us. And they actually want to be in the world that we that we share.

But there are some people who have had negative experiences, unfortunately, within within the care system and in family environments that unfortunately that they don’t want to. They feel like it’s better not to integrate with the world in its world because it’s not accommodated because of based on their bad experiences. But the question is, how would you bring the how would you bring these two together?

Why don’t drive them away because you’re not going to have a shared society if you if you don’t integrate with each other. So I’ll just leave that open now.

[Speaker 2] (43:39 – 43:58)
OK, so what about at university? Do you think that you’ve got had a good experience at university? Do you think if you need reasonable adjustments that they are making them for you to make your experience better so that you can obviously.

Finish your university degree on a positive note.

[Speaker 1] (43:59 – 44:37)
Oh, of course, of course. I mean, when I when I joined the disability service and disability service since I joined, there was a thing where a note says whenever I go whenever I get in contact with the DSA team, they move. They move heavily enough to accommodate my request.

Good. And and I think I think I think that’s other students have difficulty doing so. But I think that’s because I think that’s because I’m so on the ball, really.

They’re like, oh, we’ve got to move quickly, because Kyle said, I mean, it’s not what it’s not like when I snap my fingers, people jump.

[Speaker 2] (44:38 – 44:48)
I mean, it’s just like, I mean, yeah, adjustments have been made for you if you don’t mind sharing. So what kind of adjustments have they made for you so that you are able to do your degree?

[Speaker 1] (44:49 – 45:20)
Well, having a DSA package at university is actually very, very substantial. You have a note taker, you have a specialist study skills support, you have especially specialist study skills tutor. You have you have a hell of amount of support there.

I have extra time on my exams. I have I can have a period of quite a reflection at in terms of university studies. I mean, they’ve been very accommodating.

[Speaker 2] (45:20 – 45:28)
Sounds really good. Sounds really good. So did you have to apply for that before you started your degree or did it sort of materialize during?

[Speaker 1] (45:29 – 46:04)
Yes, via student finance, Wales. So you have to say that you’ve had you’ve got registered to this place here and then the DSA team get in contact with you. And then you have to sit down with the advisor and think about your talk about your reasonable adjustments and then just go from there, really.

And I have a very, very good relationship with the DSA team. And even when staff members have left their professions, my relationships with them are still endured, really. And it’s like, yeah, so in university, we’re all on a common path.

[Speaker 2] (46:05 – 46:14)
Yeah. Are there any other autistic students on the on the site that you meet with them? Are they on the same course as you?

[Speaker 1] (46:15 – 47:08)
Yes, there is one. I was we met around about the same. He I was in his second year.

He’s in his first year. Right. And I mean, he’s a massive doctor who fans we speak a lot.

We’ve been SU officers together, student ambassadors, officers. And we have spoken with him. We’ve been friends for the many years.

We often we see each other off and on. And it’s like it’s just it’s always Will and Kyle. Oh, that’s nice.

Well, yeah, Will is Will was one of those people where I can’t argue with him, et cetera, because when I see him, I’m just I just we’re good friends, which is good friends. So there are some autistic people that in university I just really click with idea.

[Speaker 2] (47:08 – 47:18)
Good. That’s good. So if someone is listening in and they’re thinking of, you know, they’re autistic themselves and they’re thinking of doing a university degree, what tips and advice would you give them?

[Speaker 1] (47:19 – 48:53)
Well, I mean, one of one of the main tips I would give to any person going to university is. I think I go back to my dilemma of the world’s problems, which is the poor decision making, I would say is I would say go above and beyond in preparation for university because it will stand you in good stead. Because if you’re going to university and you’ve made preparations for your course in terms of getting started with the DSA team, et cetera, they will see your tutors and all that, but they will see that.

And that increases confidence within. I mean, within university, it’s not like to say my course leader is my boss. I mean, they’re there to teach you to they’re there to teach you to make sure you enjoy your degree and you have a positive outcome.

So why don’t you just make the preparations? And once you increase their confidence, et cetera, they will forward you opportunities. They will make it all.

Have you heard of this? Have you heard of this? And they will they will make sure that you will provide it for.

But if you don’t, if you don’t, if you don’t have the confidence of people, really, I mean, and they don’t take you seriously as a student. I mean, it’s one of the worst things you can ever suffer if people can take you seriously. So I would say do all possible steps to ensure that you have the confidence.

Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (48:53 – 48:59)
And don’t be right to ask questions if you don’t know. You know, just ask. Absolutely.

[Speaker 1] (49:00 – 49:07)
Absolutely. I mean, when you if you don’t take the initiative, who else is going to take the initiative? That’s absolutely right.

[Speaker 2] (49:07 – 49:10)
Have you done any work experience through your degree?

[Speaker 1] (49:11 – 50:07)
Oh, yes, I’ve done work experience for my students. You and I did. And well, that’s the thing.

Many students feel like, oh, it’s university. You go to the pubs and all that. You do.

You agree. But there’s a lot of planning and universities branch out in many, many different ways, many, many different ways. And in my work experience as an issue, I visited the various committees and all that as an issue officer on work experience of how the universities run.

And and and it made me go on to take a year out to become a sabbatical officer representing students on academic misconduct, which was for me. For me, it was the greatest job ever, really, because I mean, I love dealing with angry students and then putting a smile on their face at the end. I really don’t.

I really love that.

[Speaker 2] (50:07 – 50:09)
So maybe you found your calling there.

[Speaker 1] (50:10 – 50:28)
Well, kind of, I did actually, Anna, because I’m a counsellor and I really like representing the public and making sure that the prosperity of living is safeguarded and they have effective governance where they live.

[Speaker 2] (50:29 – 50:32)
So how do you juggle university work and being a counsellor?

[Speaker 1] (50:33 – 50:34)
Trial and error.

[Speaker 2] (50:36 – 50:39)
Did you get overwhelmed or sometimes try to fit everything?

[Speaker 1] (50:40 – 51:20)
So I get, I mean, I mean, I always try and I’ve got my fidget spinner in my pocket. I always use my fidget spinner. That’s my that’s my trusty companion.

But at the same time as well, I always try to limit two cups of coffee in the morning. And I always try to I always try to not pick out on fast food. I try to stay healthy by having smoothies.

But when you’re under extreme pressure, I mean, things slip, but it’s all about balance, really. And I have to say, I mean, I don’t know if I should have a profession in the circus because I’m always walking on a tightrope.

[Speaker 2] (51:21 – 51:35)
That’s a good one. So when you another question you said you would like me to ask you, if I was a desert, what would I be and why? I’ve never ever asked anyone.

[Speaker 1] (51:36 – 52:47)
But if I was a desert desert. If I was a desert, I mean, I don’t know. I would probably be.

I don’t know if I was a desert. I would probably be a big quilt really. I mean, very, very, very, very, very, very sweet on the outside.

But once you I mean, once you once you eat it, it really packs a mouthful. So I would be I would be I would be a big work out because I think is I I’m one of those people. You see in a room, I sit in the corner.

But when I speak when I speak to someone, I’m just like, oh, yes. Yeah. And then I go into a whole conversation and they’re like, oh, I wasn’t expecting this from this guy in the corner of the room.

I wasn’t expecting it. But yeah, and whenever every time I speak to someone on the phone and they always I always blow their mind away. And I thought, well, that’s what happens when you ask for a conversation with me.

That’s what happens.

[Speaker 2] (52:49 – 52:58)
So you’ve got a year to go then. And then when yes, you have you started making plans of where you can see yourself and what you’d like to do?

[Speaker 1] (52:59 – 53:28)
I like to keep all options open. Really. I think in a master’s degree.

And how long would that take two years? One year. I want to know what one year masters.

I can go into the issue, go to the issue job again. I mean, when we have the local government elections opening, I was thinking of running for county council of extending my service. Of course, you go into the civil service after I graduate.

[Speaker 2] (53:31 – 53:35)
OK, so you’ve got a few options there. A few options.

[Speaker 1] (53:36 – 54:00)
Yeah. And I have. Well, one final point when I go to a Labour conference in October, I mean, the political landscape might be changed any time soon.

And they’ll be expecting big changes in the country. So the thing is, when you when you’re looking, well, crisis Britain, there is always something happening and going on.

[Speaker 2] (54:01 – 54:01)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (54:02 – 54:09)
And you have to try and move along with the changing times. But the thing is.

[Speaker 2] (54:09 – 54:30)
Make you anxious because everything’s changing all the time and we’re living in such uncertain times. I know I’ve spoken to a lot of adults who run me on the charity and they just like to find it difficult because everything’s changing all the time. And the price is obviously food and everything is going up.

And it’s just there’s a lot of anxiety around. Do you experience anxiety?

[Speaker 1] (54:31 – 55:40)
I think to myself is I always have this great fear of becoming insolvent and being bored. But I think to myself, I always keep my options open for me not to be bored. I always keep my options open because because, you know, you have to you have to be moving with the changing times.

And for example, you have to be you have to be consistent with changing times. But the thing is, the thing is, it’s just like when when you have fear of something, it could be so paralyzing that it just uses some able to take the initiative. And you always have to push your boundaries to say, oh, I wasn’t scared of this.

I mean, what can I what can I be scared of next? I mean, it’s like in terms of physical fears, I mean, I’ve been skydiving before and I I’ve been I’ve jumped out of aircraft at 15000 feet.

[Speaker 2] (55:40 – 55:41)
So that’d be my worst nightmare.

[Speaker 1] (55:43 – 55:46)
I don’t think I don’t think I’ll be scared of matters.

[Speaker 2] (55:48 – 55:52)
So if people wanted to follow you, are you on social media?

[Speaker 1] (55:53 – 56:09)
Yes. I mean, it’s just well, it’s just just on Facebook with the thing with Kyle, Jamie Eldridge. My public is my profile is very public and you’ll see town council and Abigail is a very unmissable.

[Speaker 2] (56:10 – 56:24)
Just for people listening in. So it’s Kyle. Jamie and then Eldridge, E-L-D-R-I-D-G-E.

So you can follow Kyle on Facebook. Are you just on Facebook? Have you got a blog or anything?

[Speaker 1] (56:25 – 56:46)
I don’t really do blogs, but yeah, I’m on Instagram at Kyle Eldridge at Kyle Eldridge. I think on Instagram, I think it’s Kyle Eldridge 97 or something like that. But Facebook’s my main one.

[Speaker 2] (56:47 – 56:51)
OK, that’s great. So when have you any plans on writing a book about your life?

[Speaker 1] (56:53 – 58:37)
I’m glad you asked because because oh, yes, I have. I mean, to be honest, I am in the process of gathering photos up in my life. I took a trip to North Hampshire a couple of weeks ago.

I took some photos. My whole life. And I’m hoping to get those images illustrated.

And I put a skeleton of a book together called titled What’s the Point? Inside the Triumphs and Tragedies of the Autistic Brain. And I wrote a big outline.

I sent it to my friend, who used to be our opposition leader in the council council. He’s now a cabinet member in Newport, and he’s an author. So I sent it to him.

He’s supposed to get back to me Friday, but with some recommendations. So once my images are illustrated and once he’s got given me an outline, I just need to start writing. But I’m hoping to hit the dynamic of you have those books written by academics saying about this is how autistic people work, et cetera, et cetera.

But you also have those books written by young people who have been co-authored. What I want to do, I want to create something new. I want to write a book that really illustrates a person with autism who’s not an academic, who’s not a child.

So basically someone who gives a very, very honest and reflective account of what autism is actually like within a person.

[Speaker 2] (58:37 – 58:45)
And I hope you achieve that accomplishment and please keep me posted. And then when it’s actually been published, I hope you’d like to send me a book.

[Speaker 1] (58:46 – 58:51)
Of course, but I mean, I mean, writing books takes a long time.

[Speaker 2] (58:51 – 59:08)
So I take quite a long time, as I’ve done. You’ve got to write synopsis as well about the book to get people interested. So we’ve come to the end of the time of me chatting to you.

It’s been really, really interesting. And I’ve loved talking to you and convinced me to come to Abigabenny for a visit.

[Speaker 1] (59:10 – 59:16)
Yes, of course. So I mean, whenever you’re in town, I mean, I’ll show you into the parlour really.

[Speaker 2] (59:17 – 59:47)
So that’s really kind of you. So I mean, we’re running out of time, Kyle, sorry. So we’ve got just a few seconds left.

So I just want to say thank you again for giving you me your time. I know you’re busy. And I just want to say thank you to everyone listening in.

Have a good week, everyone. And I’ll be chatting to you again next week. And all the information about how we’ll be on the charity website if you want to read his article.

OK, then. So take care, Kyle. Look after yourself and speak to you soon.

[Speaker 1] (59:48 – 59:49)
Thank you very much, Hannah.