Hi,

My name is Benny. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a bit of a character and I don’t mind showing it. Since before my diagnosis, in 2020, I’ve been proudly sporting pink hair, which I love very much and I have adopted as my permanent colour 👚

Sadly, a few months ago I started losing my hair (story below).

As a silver lining, I decided to take advantage of the oddest hairstyle I’ve ever had in my life to produce some funny content for Autism Acceptance week this year!

Here’s what I’m gonna do: 🖍️👩‍🎨 I’ll be painting my head every day (with my husband’s help) 🌈 in bright colours (since the theme this year is Spectrum Colour Challenge), 🍿 and I will film the effort and results for your entertainment.

So come, find me on Linkedin (bennyzuffolini), Instagram (benny_bz) or TikTok (benny_bz) to have a laugh and feel peer-pressured to donate!

                                                                     

Story: how my hair loss is connected to my neurodivergent journey

See, for a year or so I suspected I may have ADHD as well - which quite commonly goes hand in hand with autism - and I sought information and confirmation until I finally got a diagnosis and started taking medication for it.

Life felt wonderful. I didn't feel different, except that tasks that used to exhaust me were now doable. Suddenly, I didn't need a midday nap, I could stay on top of chores, contact friends and family more often, and best of all, I could choose what to focus on. It was amazing. Sadly, after a few months, I had a bad reaction and my hair started falling out.

To be clear, my hair loss was not caused directly by my ADHD medicine. Hair loss was not listed as a possible side effect of the medicine. I have a family history of autoimmune diseases, including alopecia. We think my hair loss was triggered by a bad reaction between my ADHD medicine and other medicines I was already taking.

The medicine worked great, and I'm glad I could get it.

I share this story to show challenges that are not often talked about:

• Having more than one condition at once, like autism and ADHD in my case. It goes to show how people don't belong in boxes.

• Getting a diagnosis and support can be difficult and take a long time.

• Even with a diagnosis and support, things can still go wrong because our understanding of these conditions is still new.

Some other serious bits - and why you should donate

Since acknowledging my autism, I had to re-learn everything I was taught about this world and how human brains react to it, and I barely scratched the surface. 

The main thing I learned is that I am lucky. My skills and talents fit well with the career path I found myself in, and some other stars aligned throughout my life that made my choices generally work out with little need for assistance.

Most people on the spectrum are not so lucky. We live in a world shaped around neuro-typicals, alternative thinking doesn't often have a place and day-to-day life is filled with struggles and obstacles that are a breeze for some but hell for others. It is estimated that only 15% of adults with autism are in full-time employment, and only 22% are employed at all.

Donating to the National Autistic Society will help many NDs receive the right support and guidance, as well as spread knowledge and education on this fantastic and misunderstood universe.

Help create a society that works for autistic people.