Allie Mason is an autistic children’s author and micro-adventurer who has just published her first book, The Autistic Guide to Adventure: Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens.
Allie lives in the English countryside with her partner and their beloved Labrador. The purpose of her writing is to give neurodivergent young people a place where they recognise themselves and feel that they belong.
Allie in her own words:
“When I was 23 years old, I was diagnosed as autistic. It was a bittersweet moment for me. On the one hand, it answered a lot of questions that had been accumulating since I was a child. On the other, it highlighted that a lot of the struggles I had faced when I was younger could have been avoided with the right support.
I was (and still am!) an avid reader, but I never felt that I recognised myself in the pages of a book. The characters didn’t face the same struggles as me, didn’t think the same way, so as much as I tried to immerse myself in these fictional worlds, there was always something missing.
Now, as an adult, I write books that neurodivergent kids and teens, like I once was, can see themselves in.”
About the book: The Autistic Guide to Adventure: Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens.
Outdoor adventuring can be life changing - it makes you physically and mentally stronger, takes you to new places and introduces you to new friends, as well as being an exhilarating challenge - but it can be stressful when there are unexpected social and sensory challenges involved. Allie Mason, autistic adventurer extraordinaire, is here to help. Join Allie as she introduces activities ranging from archery to stargazing, sailing to fossil hunting, snorkelling to nature-writing - and so much more. Each easily digestible factsheet comes with a short introduction, a summary of the sensory experiences involved, suggestions on approaching activities for when you're just getting started, as well as a handy budgeting system. With personal anecdotes and interviews with awesome autistic athletes, this book will give you the support you need to take on the great outdoors.
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Show notes
Who is Allie
Chilling with her dog at home
Her early years growing up
Being diagnosed as autistic at 23 (Feb 2020)
Feeling strange from a young age and knowing she was different
Feeling isolated and being bullied
Why her diagnoses was liberating
Understanding that she wasn’t broken and that there is nothing wrong with her
Her outlook on life
Being trusting, truthful and taking things at face value
Not understanding social etiquette very well
Wanting to gentle educate people by just being herself
Understanding different Neurotypes
Getting an assessment done to diagnose autism
Signing up for a roller-skate marathon in Berlin
Training for 18 months and what that looked like
Thriving on structure
Raising money for charity - Ambitious About Autism
Taking any reference to the roller-skate marathon out of the book
What happened on the day of the marathon and why things didn’t go according to plan
Dealing with injury and still wanting to do the challenge
Being told to get off the course after 5km
The lessons learned from the negative experience
Feeling emotions of frustration, resentment and feeling wronged
How can organisers of the event could have handle having to take people off the course
Support for autistic people who enter larger events
Wanting to do the event again
Equality and Equity
Having the idea for her book while thinking about doing the roller-skate marathon
The contents of the book and how to use the guide
Highlights from the Autistic and Adventure manifesto - “Trying the thing, asking for support, respecting your limits and being an adventurer”
Top tips for “trying the thing”
Not being afraid to fail
Who the book is aimed at
The importance of representation and sharing stories from autistic athletics
Future projects in 2023
Working on book 2
Wanting to take a sensory space on tour around the UK
How to connect with Allie
Final words of advice
Being inspired by Al Humphreys
Social Media
Website: www.alliewrote.com
Instagram: @alliewrote
TikTok: @alliewrote
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