Richie drives positive message about autism
An autistic man is bringing his Mustang sports car to the Bridges Shopping Centre to highlight his message that the condition “should not be a barrier to success”.
Since being diagnosed as autistic three years ago, Richie Smith ,37, has dedicated his life to raising awareness of the condition, including bringing the iconic sports car into schools to deliver workshops to children to improve their understanding of autism.
However, with Covid restrictions having curtailed his work in schools, Richie will be parking his car in the Bridges to promote his campaign.
He said: “My message is that autism is a challenge – not a barrier – and shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving anything. Throughout my life, I’ve done things which made me feel weird until I was eventually diagnosed.
"I always felt something was missing and that I saw the world differently. I felt like a freak and used to get bullied for being different and until my diagnosis I couldn’t understand why.
"Although not connected to autism, I’m a straight man but I’ve always been described as the girliest girl as I enjoy dressing
in a feminine way. I’ve now got the confidence to decide I want to be Richie on the outside as well as Richie on the inside.”
After receiving his diagnosis, Richie, from South Shields, left his job as a teacher at Newcastle College, to set up the charity Awesometisic where he began to look for strategies to engage children and raise awareness of autism.
He said: “I didn’t want any other child to feel the way I did. I approached Lookers Ford about the possibility of getting a sponsored car to promote the charity and explained I needed a car that would really get children’s attention.
"The Mustang really helps to engage the children andpositive message that you can be successful living with autism.”
As well as speaking about his own experiences, the event in the Bridges will also provide Richie with an opportunity to promote his book, ‘The Art of Weeing in the Sink’.
The book chronicles Richie’s journey from being abused by his birth parents, failing to connect to his adopted parents and eventually trying to commit suicide.
Richie said :“If I can succeed in my life then I’m sure everyone else can.”
He will be at the Bridges on February 23 and 24 between 10am and 4pm.