05/03/2026
When I was a teenager, I didn’t talk.
I didn’t know the term situational mutism (or autism for that matter). Neither did my family. My teachers probably didn’t either.
At school, I sat silently in lessons. I never answered questions or spoke during group work.
Eventually it spread to my friendship group. I’d just sit there, silent. And in time, home as well.
My “friends” wrote on the toilet walls about me being quiet.
I was called boring.
I was told I had no personality and that no-one liked me.
People said I was doing it for attention.
Teachers predicted I’d get poor grades (I was predicted a C in psychology - I got an A).
I was underestimated.
I was disliked.
I was bullied.
I hated school. I hated people. I wanted to disappear.
So I know what it feels like to be an autistic teenager who feels like an outsider - isolated, misunderstood, and not wanting to be around people.
That’s why our youth group matters so much to me. I want young people like I was - and like my 6yo son will be - to have a space where they are accepted exactly as they are.
A space where they can come out of their shell in their own time.
Or just be loud and proud without judgement.
But we may not have got the format quite right yet. Attendance has been low, and we may need to pause the youth group for now.
Before we do that, we’d really like to understand what might work better for families.
Is it:
• the time (2:30–4:30)?
• the day (Fridays)?
• the venue (Thanington Resource Centre)?
• the activities or structure?
If you have an autistic or ADHD young person, we’d really value your thoughts. Please comment below, or we’ll share a link to an anonymous survey in the comments if you’d prefer to respond privately.
