Malcolm Osborne didn’t receive a diagnosis of autism until he was 52 years old. A further diagnosis of ADHD followed at age 66 in 2022.
A former NHS Nurse having worked in mental health, general nursing and army medical services, he helped to create what was to become initially a support group and later a registered charity for those affected by SEN and disability. He describes being recognised as an autistic person as “Something of an epiphany…”
Sparked by his daughter’s diagnosis of autism, Malcolm began to look for his own diagnosis and to research the subject. From this place of self-discovery, he has since built a role signposting autism diagnosis for others.
And in his spare time? You can find Malcolm out fly fishing!
We caught up with him to find out more about how life-changing his diagnosis has been.
Malcolm Osborne – photo credit: JPIMedia
Making sense of the world
Reflecting on his career to date now that he has a diagnosis of autism, Malcolm says that now he is able to make sense of any differences in the way that he navigates and relates to the world.
“Every autistic person is different and experiences different levels of symptoms such as sensory overload, problems relating to other people etc. As a young person, fresh from grammar school, I joined the Royal Navy and training to become a radio operator which involved deciphering morse code in real time by listening to the dots and dashes. I couldn’t process the information I had to leave as, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t make sense of it in my head, despite knowing what the symbols represented. Impaired sensory processing was the problem but at the time it was so confusing, and despite being well educated had a big impact on me.
When I joined the NHS as a 20 yr old student mental health nurse, I often received feedback that I had come across to colleagues as ‘brusque’. I would say “direct” – something that my diagnosis has allowed me to recognise is that this is likely their perception of my personality as an autistic person. Now, I am quite comfortable in my skin.”
The tools to navigate the world of work
Through further reflection on his working life, Malcolm explains that preparation can make or break a job interview experience for an autistic person.
“We need to know what to expect. You can’t mitigate for every eventuality, but in the case of a job interview, contacting the company that they will interview with and asking if the interviewee can visit the building to do a recce as to where the interview will be held might be enough to help quiet the sensory overload that some autistic people experience when facing the unknown in a stressful situation. It might give the person enough confidence not to feel overloaded if something is slightly different or doesn’t go to plan.”
Anxiety and autism do go hand in hand
Malcolm explains how other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, are the common companions of autistic people, being co-morbidities of the condition.
“Many autistic people find that they experience the world in an overwhelming way which can lead to significant anxiety. Over (or under) sensitivity to sensory aspects of a setting can be extremely jarring. Autistic people who are not supported in dealing with this and given the tools to help can end up totally overwhelmed. You just can‘t continue. That’s often seen as a nervous breakdown. And in actual fact, it’s more likely to be an autistic breakdown, a breakdown of lethargy, of despair, of overwhelming anxiety and not being able to function.”
Advice for organisations
Malcolm discusses the need for awareness of the barriers faced by autistic people as well an understanding of what can be put in place to give them equity in the workplace and online.
“There is a greater general awareness around autism now, but I think that organisations still need to educate themselves around how to cater for autistic people’s physical and digital accessibility needs. They need to ask what they can put in place to enable autistic people to function well, but that begins by asking the real experts; us.
Whether it’s providing a quiet breakout area at a job interview, simplifying and signposting the way digital files are stored, assistance with financial forms or simply ensuring the website text still functions well at a larger magnification. Good design can help everybody.”
Conclusion
Hearing Malcolm’s lived experience and the role he plays in supporting others highlights that providing well designed and thought through services, websites, and apps can help everyone.
“Too much detail is overwhelming. If things become unpredictable it causes stress and some autistic people have a tendency to catastrophise. If we have tools, techniques, and support, then some of that stress can be avoided, if not also predicted and strategies put in place to mitigate. An example of good design helping keep people on track can be found in the coloured lines painted along the walls of most hospitals to zone them ‘follow this red line to get to x-ray’.
When autistic people (or any people) are placed in emotionally stressful situations simplicity and clear signposting is just what is required. As an autistic adult, I am involved in research in order to give the autistic viewpoint to change and develop policies around real issues that affect us.”
Read more here about Malcolm’s research contributions.
And about his work with the University of Newcastle.
You can find out more about the South Shields based autism charity ‘Kayaks’ that Malcolm runs.
If you have enjoyed reading about Malcolm’s experiences, you might also like to check out our other accessibility profiles.