Nic's run for the Autistic Girls Network
Nicholas Newling is raising money for Autistic Girls Network
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Update 12.04.25: I did manage to complete my race last weekend. But it didn’t end up being a half marathon - a security incident at Chancery Lane tube left us 700 metres short! So my time looks better than it really was. Still very happy with how it went overall. Was a zombie for about 24 hours after, but the feet held up well. I’ve even worn the barefoot shoes by choice since. Thanks again for all the support for Autistic Girls Network. Fundraising page remains open until 6th July; still time to make a contribution, if you haven’t got around to it.
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I'm running the London Landmarks Half Marathon, on 6 April 2025, to raise money for the Autistic Girls Network.
Four times as many boys as girls are diagnosed autistic; with diagnosis coming for girls, on average, 6 years later. Most experts agree that this is not reflective of the incidence of autism, but the result of a pervasive problem in the tools used to screen for autism, which are male-centric and don't reflect the modern understanding of how autism presents in women and girls.
Missed diagnosis, or misdiagnosis, can cause long term mental health problems, with far too many girls and women suffering as a result.
The Autistic Girls Network works to raise awareness of this imbalance and bring change in the health, social care and educational professions, not only to the way that autistic girls are assessed and subsequently supported, but also to the narrative, with updated and more positive terminology used to describe autistic traits.
I first became aware of the network through reading the inspirational book, Girl Unmasked, by Emily Katy, one of their trustees. She says:
Autistic people's brains process more information at once than non-autistic brains and we struggle to filter out unnecessary sensory information, meaning that we can feel easily overwhelmed.
Others talk about their experience of being autistic as feeling like they have been born without a protective shell that everyone else seems to have.
These descriptions of the autistic experience gave me the idea to do my run without the protective shell on my feet that conventional running shoes provide. So I'll be attempting the 21 kms in a pair of Merrell Trail Glove barefoot shoes - one of which is pictured above. There's not much to them!
I would really appreciate your sponsorship - anything you can pledge gratefully received. Thank you.