Stories from the Spectrum: Dan Jones
In this Stories from the Spectrum interview, we spoke to Dan Jones.
Meet Daniel Jones, an autistic content creator and speaker.
Dan’s YouTube channel, the Aspie World, is dedicated to creating resources and building an online community for autistic people. His channel and talks also help professionals learn more about autism.
Dan tells us more about getting started as a YouTuber and why it’s so important the autistic community is represented at panels and events…
Why did you create your YouTube channel?
I created my channel to be a positive and empowering information resource on autism, including ADHD, OCD and Dyslexia. The message of my channel is to break perceptions about autism, and talk about autism from an autistic perspective.
When were you diagnosed as autistic?
After a large struggle in my life, I was diagnosed as autistic when I was 26. Up to that point, I was diagnosed with lots of other things that are often common among autistic people, but was not diagnosed as autistic myself.
What is being autistic like for you?
Being autistic to me is like being all by myself in a crowded room.
I want to make friends and talk to people, but not being able to look people in the eyes, and not getting like jokes and social cues makes this super hard. I also experience sensory processing difficulties, such as walking into doorways a lot. I am terrible at time keeping and keeping things in my short term memory, although my long term memory is like a facts vault.
Why do you think it’s so important that the online autistic community is represented at YouTuber events?
Creating opportunities for people to see autistic creators at YouTube events makes them a relatable experience for autistic individuals. I also think it’s important to talk about autism from an autistic perspective and offer help and education to improve lives, as I think there is a lot of misinformation out there.
Why do you think it’s so important that YouTuber conventions are made autism friendly?
YouTube and video conventions should be autism-friendly because there is a thriving community of autistic users that want to go to these events.
