Rhys: autism and me

Rhys, our Mirus Representative for Gwent, was keen to share his thoughts on autism and what it means to him.

Rhys has autism, which is a processing difference – it is a different way of experiencing, processing and looking at the world. Autism is considered a spectrum, meaning there is no ‘typical’ autistic person, but autistic people often share similar characteristics, such as differences in the way they communicate, understand and use language.

Like everyone, autistic people all have their own strengths, differences and likes – being autistic doesn’t define them.

Rhys said:

“Autism is not necessarily a disability. It’s a manner of thinking as far as I’m concerned.”

Rhys has been involved in multiple Mirus videos, sharing his thoughts and opinions while raising awareness of autism. When asked about his biggest strength, Rhys said:

“I’m bold! There’s nothing I am afraid to say.”

Like everyone, there are things that Rhys finds challenging, such as concentrating and tasks that involve multitasking – but he deals with these challenges very well.

Rhys said:

“I do breathing exercises and meditation.”

Rhys went on to explain that the only time he can multitask is when he’s doing things that require minimal concentration.

Rhys said:

“The rest of the time, I can’t do two things at once; my mind just isn’t geared up that way.”

When asked how he would respond if someone offered to take his autism away,

Rhys said:

“I’d refuse, the good outweighs the bad entirely.”