Join our host Simeon Thompson as he welcomes Barry Davies, Police Community Support Officer, and Sergeant John Nelson, both from the British Transport Police. Barry brings a personal perspective as a parent of an autistic son and draws on his previous experience working for TFL London Underground in ticket offices, while John shares his journey as an autistic police officer and founder of the National Police Autism Association (NPAA).

Barry opens up about his transition from TFL ticket offices to becoming a PCSO when the Oyster card system led to ticket office closures, and how his personal experience with autism through his son has shaped his approach to community policing. He shares real examples of supporting autistic people on the transport network, highlighting how understanding and empathy can transform situations that others might misinterpret as aggressive behavior when the person is actually frightened or overwhelmed.

John delves into his career change from IT to policing after volunteering with St. John Ambulance sparked his interest in emergency services. He discusses receiving his autism diagnosis several years into his police career, the challenges of fitting into police culture, and his determination to create support for neurodivergent colleagues. He shares the founding and remarkable growth of the NPAA, which now supports nearly 3,000 members across 48 UK forces, and the evolution of autism acceptance within policing from complete ignorance to growing understanding and acceptance.

The conversation explores the importance of proper autism training for officers, the value of resources like police guides, meltdown response materials, and the Met Police's stop and search guide for autistic people. Both guests emphasise how taking time to talk with autistic individuals rather than making assumptions can completely change outcomes, and the crucial difference between viewing autism through a medical lens versus understanding it as neurological diversity.

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National Police Autism Association website: National Police Autism Association (NPAA)

Simeon Thompson's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Siimthompson

Dr Sophia Christophi's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autistically.sophia

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

And please consider donating to the London Autism Group Charity if you are enjoying this podcast that we produce and able to (simply go to https://donorbox.org/london-autism-group-charity-donations - thank you!)

Our links:

London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272747662886046/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity.

Editorial leads - Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon

All Rights Reserved

Join our hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Brendan Tighe, an autistic college language professor and autism advocate currently living in Mexico after spending most of his life in the US. Brendan shares his personal journey, including receiving an autism diagnosis at age four but only truly understanding its impact much later in life. He delves into the incredible and challenging legal battle his family undertook against the school system to secure his educational rights, highlighting the crucial support from his trailblazing uncle.

Brendan opens up about the complexities of masking, feeling different, and navigating a world where autism was often misunderstood or treated like a "dirty word." He discusses his path from those early struggles to becoming an advocate, finding his own way to learn and thrive – including teaching himself languages – and the importance of self-acceptance, independence, and challenging societal underestimations to achieve his potential.

Brendan has also shared his journey in more detail in his recently published Medium.com article, "Breaking the Silence: 33 Years of Autism, Advocacy, and Acceptance.' Links to this article are:

https://medium.com/@bdtighe/breaking-the-silence-33-years-of-autism-advocacy-and-acceptance-85134df6ad77

https://substack.com/inbox/post/159523582

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Brendan's contact info:

Brendan's email address: bdtighe@gmail.com

Brendan's instagram: Brendan Tighe (@brendigio) • Instagram photos and videos

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Simeon Thompson's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Siimthompson

Dr Sophia Christophi's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autistically.sophia

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

And please consider donating to the London Autism Group Charity if you are enjoying this podcast that we produce and able to (simply go to https://donorbox.org/london-autism-group-charity-donations - thank you!)

Our links:

London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272747662886046/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity.

Editorial leads - Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon

All Rights Reserved.