The Autism Podcast - Livestream interview with Kieran Rose (The Autistic Advocate) about mental health during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic

In Season 2, episode 8, Chris and James interview autistic advocate Kieran Rose about the threat to mental health for the autistic and wider autism community during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. 

To support the community, the London Autism Group Charity have begun doing a series of livestreams with interviews of autistic people and advocates around the topic of mental health and wellbeing. These are happening weekly at our public Facebook page (facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity) with full details about what and when livestreams are taking place listed there (as well as our Twitter: @lagcharity)

This podcast episode is the audio from one of these livestreams. We talk about some of the main challenges the community will be experiencing during Covid-19, about how to cope and reduce anxiety, the intersections between these challenges and the wider socio-cultural stigmatising narratives about autism, and the importance of recognising the opportunities for social and cultural learning and change that the current social circumstances provide. We also answered a range of interesting questions from the audience. 

We think it was a really useful discussion and worth uploading as its own standalone podcast episode, so that more people could access it and potentially benefit from the advice and suggestions provided. The video recording is also available from our youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69IQ4QZ5uj4) which you can find by going to youtube and searching for London Autism Group Charity. We'll be uploading our other livestreams there also.

Please note that the London Autism Group Charity is also looking for volunteers to support us in our work during this difficult period. You don't have to be London or even UK-based, so if you do have time and wish to support us, and are interested in mental health in particular, please get in touch with us via our website (londonautismgroupcharity.org). Thank you.

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Kieran Rose is a writer, international Public Speaker and former educationalist whose blog: www.theautisticadvocate.com has been read by over one million people.
Kieran delivers his own specialist Autism training and consults for multiple different organisations. He is also Founder and Chair of The Autistic Cooperative, an International network and lobbying group for Autistic Professionals; and is Managing Director of the Social enterprise Infinite Autism, which supports Autistic people and families through funded partnership working.
Kieran has recently become an executive board member of SLP Neurodiversity Collective, a US-based non-profit internation network and lobbying organisation of Neurodiverse positive SLTs and OTs.
He was diagnosed Autistic in 2003 and is married with three children; two of whom are diagnosed Autistic.