Alex was diagnosed with Asperger's, a form of Autism, at the age of ten and credits his condition for helping him pursue his passions. His colorful and dynamic personality is gelling perfectly with his passion for his job as a radio presenter where he hosts a children's show on Solihull Radio every Sunday morning. Alex also gives talks titled "My Life Living with Asperger's" to businesses, universities, schools and Autism groups to inspire and educate people about living and working with Asperger's. He has also written several articles on Asperger's for the Autism Parenting Magazine, SEN Magazine and the National Autistic Society. Alex would like to work as a children’s television presenter. His other honors include being a finalist on Birmingham Lives 30 under 30 and a nominee for Positive Role Model in the National Diversity Awards.

How did you get the idea for the “Solihull Radio children's show”? What kind of preparation is needed for this show?A: I got involved with Solihull Radio in 2018 after I was interviewed on one of their shows about my Asperger’s. One of the questions I was asked was “What are your ambitions” to which I told them that my ambition is to become a TV presenter and more specifically a children’s TV presenter. After the interview they asked me if I would like to do a children’s show on Solihull Radio and I immediately jumped at the chance. My show takes me a few hours each week to put together. I always have a printed schedule with breakdowns of what will be on the show and the timings of each item. I also write my very own “Rainbow Man” children’s stories that I read every week and these alone can take a few hours to write and record.

What is the best thing you love about being a radio presenter?A: My favourite thing about being a radio presenter is that I get to play all of my favourite songs and talk about the things that I am passionate about. Sharing these with others is great! I love children’s TV shows and children’s music and I can honestly say that I enjoy watching and listening to them as much as the children.

What inspired you to start the "Autism & Football" campaign?A: I was diagnosed with Asperger’s when I was 10 and attended my first ever football game in 2007. Since then I have been to hundreds of games and grounds and recently completed my quest to watch a game at all 92 English Football League grounds. As I have Asperger’s, which is a form of Autism I have experienced many of the challenges that people with Autism will face at football games. I decided to start my “Autism & Football” campaign to enhance the experiences of Autistic people at football games. I wanted to raise awareness for Asperger’s and show clubs that they don’t need lots of money or space to be able to help their Autistic fans or those with a hidden disability. I have worked with a number of clubs including Arsenal and Swansea City, advising them on how they can make their grounds, tours and match days more Autism friendly.

What challenges did you face during your school years? How did you face these challenges?A: School was a very traumatic time for me. When I was at school it felt like I was in prison, unable to escape and when I was not at school I was worried and stressed about it. In my opinion many of the teachers did not understand my Asperger’s and had pre-conceived ideas about what Asperger’s was. If I was stressed they would often tell me off for reading one of my football programmes which they knew used to calm me down. As a consequence my stress levels would rise.
I was also bullied not only by some of the pupils in my year but it also felt like some of the teachers were bullying me as well. I used to suffer with anxiety and just to get me in to school every day was a huge struggle for my mum. When I would come home from school one small incident would make that last little piece of string inside me snap. It would not be that one incident that had caused me to have a meltdown but a series of 5 or 6 things that had happened over the school day or week.
During my GCSE years a lot of things were changed at my school which nearly ruined my GCSE’s. The timetables were constantly changing and an extra lesson was added on to the end of each Friday. The extra lesson was one change that I could not cope with and caused me an unbelievable amount of stress and trauma. The school uniform also used to make me depressed and feel as though I was hiding my personality due to the dull colours. Colourful clothes make me feel as though I can conquer anything. I also struggled with homework as it felt like my home life was being intruded. I needed a clear division between home and school.

Where do you want to see yourself in next 5 years?A: My ambition is to be a TV Presenter and I am determined to achieve this as I want to have a life “pursuing my passions” and being happy. I would like to be either a children’s presenter or a documentary presenter. In the future I would also like to present my own documentary about Asperger’s and Autism. At the moment I do a lot of different things from presenting my own radio show, presenting talks on my Asperger’s to writing and publishing my very own books. To me having a varied and interesting life is very important. Raising awareness for Asperger’s and Autism is something that I am passionate about so I would like to carry on presenting talks on “My Life Living with Asperger’s” and “My Time at School” to many more companies, schools and universities not just in the UK but all over the world!
I have just written a book called “That’s Not Right! My Life Living with Asperger’s”. My book is available to buy in Paperback or Kindle via Amazon. The book documents my time at school, giving an insight into what it’s like for a child with Asperger’s to go to school. I also talk about my positive outlook towards my Asperger’s and how I believe it will be the catalyst that enables me to achieve my dreams and ambitions. I am writing a second book about my quest to watch a match at all 92 English Football League grounds and how football has helped me to cope with my Autism. In 5 years I would like my books to be bestsellers and to have written a third book. I would also like to have my “Rainbow Man” stories published into books.

What are your other hobbies?A: I am a member of both a squash club and a golf club and have played both sports since I was young. I also enjoy playing table tennis and watching rugby and cricket matches. When I am on holiday I enjoy visiting museums and wildlife centres. I also love anything that is colourful, including clothes.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?A: One of my favourite places to visit is the Pirelli Stadium, the home of Burton Albion Football Club. Burton are one of the clubs that I support and I go and watch a number of their games each year. My uncle and I have made many friends at the club and have made many wonderful memories there. For me there is nothing more enjoyable than going to a football match and at Burton Albion I always feel relaxed. They are such a friendly club and have become one of my happiest places to be.
When I travel to London I often have to get the London Underground or Tube as many people call it. It is always very crowded on the Tube so to stop myself from getting stressed I always close my eyes and pretend I am at a Burton Albion game.

What is your suggestion for families of children with disabilities to empower their children?A: Look upon your differences as something positive and focus on all of the positive elements. From the moment I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of ten I have viewed it as something positive. I believe that my Asperger’s makes me the person that I am today and will be the catalyst that enables me to achieve my dreams. One positive element of my Asperger’s is that I can stand up in front of large audiences without getting nervous. Find the things that make you happy and bring them into your life. My passion is football and at school I would try and bring the subject into every lesson. It was a way for me to cope with the school day and keep my mind of the things that I was stressed about.

What tips/advice do you have for those in our community who are interested in pursuing their passions?A: For people with Autism I believe that it’s vital we have a life doing things that we enjoy and this also includes our job. If I was in a job that I did not enjoy or that was not a stepping stone on my path to achieving my dreams then I would be very unhappy and feel as though I had failed. If you want to achieve something then go for it. For example my ambition is to be a TV presenter and every day I am emailing people and working on different projects. No matter how big or small or famous somebody is the worst that anybody can say to you is “No”. That is why I contact so many current TV personalities and Presenters. Whatever your circumstances are never let them define you. If you are prepared to put the hard work in then you can achieve anything.

Any special message for our community?A: There have been many challenges that I have had to face throughout my life but I truly believe that without Asperger’s I would not be the person that I am today. I also believe that my Asperger’s has given me a head start and allowed me to meet many people in the TV industry, write many articles, conduct talks, appear on TV and Radio and above everything else earn money. As somebody once told me “use your disadvantage to your advantage” and be positive.