Living with Asperger's

Earlier this week, Sunnybank reporter Mark interviewed Daniel Jones for our inclusive radio show, the Sunny Sessions. In his guest blog, Daniel shares his thoughts on the radio interview experience.

Guest blog by Daniel Jones.

It was a pleasure to join Mark for an interview on the Sunny Sessions.

If you’re not aware, I joined Mark for an interview about my first ever book “Living With Asperger's: Daniel’s Story”, which is now available from Amazon.

The book itself accounts my life living with Asperger's, the grit and determination I took to run 2 marathons in 2019 whilst raising funds for Sobell House, my drama and my previous performances I have acted in including the Wizard Of Oz. It also reflects on the psychotic episode I suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.

The book also delves deeper into the struggles I go through living with Asperger's on a daily basis such as finding love and socialising.

I’m so grateful for the feedback Mark has given me about my book. Mark described my book as “such an amazing experience” whilst he described me as a “true advocate for people with Asperger's”. Thank you Mark and thank you to The Sunnybank Trust for organising the interview.

Mark & I are so similar as we both have Asperger's and see the world in a different way, I felt so much more comfortable with Mark interviewing me as we both realise how we need time to think before answering each question, whilst we can easily recognise the difficulties each of us go through on a daily basis.

I think we as people with Asperger's have an amazing talent and not a disability, our talent is what I call a growth mindset, the ability to think how we CAN do things and not put ourselves down.

See, I thought I would never write a book but I believed it was possible and finally after three years I have got it published. Plus, I’m giving 50% of the money made to Oxfordshire Mind, a charity close to my heart.

Other ways in which Mark and I are similar is we have such a caring attitude, we’ve praised each other for our talents and never see a weakness in each other.

I’m so grateful for The Sunnybank Trust for setting up the interview as I never would have met Mark and he’s now someone I’m proud to call my FRIEND.

If you missed my interview with Mark, click here to listen to it in full.