Tom Weber, a colleague at RTL Today, catalysed the topic of autism for this show by writing about it himself after being diagnosed as an adult at the age of twenty-seven.
Weber is an English-German translator and this lifestyle fits his requirements for a professional life very well, whilst also giving him time to pursue his own writing of prose and poetry. He is also a published author and won first prize at the National Literary Competition in 2020.
Through Tom’s awareness-raising of neurodiversity we explore what autism is, how it can present, and what help is available to caregivers and autistic people themselves in Luxembourg.
Autism is a very broad spectrum of neurodiverse traits and is more common than we may think, says Anne Wagner, CTSA - psychologist.
And yet, over-diagnosis can be an issue since there are frequent co-morbidities that accompany autistic people (aggression, ADHD, anxiety, depression, psychosis, for instance). There is a heightened rate of suicide amongst autistic people and a higher rate of divorce for their caregivers.
Tom eloquently describes his own personal story, the constant effort of masking, the dark periods and the changes to one’s self-perception when diagnosed late. He describes the pain of not being able to connect with people and how that can lead to deep depression, which could result in suicide if one doesn’t have a strong support network.
Sabine Angelsen and Anne Wagner work with children and their families at the Centre pour enfants et jeunes présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (CTSA).
They see children at the point at which some form of issue has presented, but many children find ways to mask their difficulties in social settings.
Nathalie Oberweis, Head of Learning & Development at Autism Luxembourg, helps people to develop skills in a safe environment through their various workshops.
They provide vocational training, education, and even a day-centre in Sandweiler. They also have some home-help services and a limited number of accommodation facilities.
The workplace can be quite traumatic for an autistic person. We discuss what measures an employer could put in place to help this type of mind. It is often hard to ‘see’ neurodiverse issues; they can be thought of as ‘invisible handicaps’.
Aleks Panzone is just 23 years old and is the co-founder of T’ees Iced Tea. This (delicious) iced tea is produced by people with autism in Luxembourg, aiming to raise awareness while also supporting them by offering a safe working environment and a decent wage.
It is only made with local and natural ingredients; no added sugar and no artificial flavours. Aleks aims to help people with autism live as fully integrated members of society.
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Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon, and Tuesdays at 10am.
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