Stories from the Spectrum: Leo Capella

Meet Leo Capella, autistic man, science fiction writer, and recent winner of our Employee of the Year Award.

Leo chatted to us about life on the spectrum, and why he thinks autism is like a Toyota Supra car! He also discussed his previous role as our charity’s Autism Access Specialist, sharing his proudest moments as well as the challenges he faced along the way – from the joys of exploring different places, to the struggles of navigating office politics and informal social niceties.

When were you diagnosed as autistic?

I was diagnosed twice: once informally around five years old at Radlett House by Dr Helen Bantock - which kind of brings me full circle as one of the runners up for the Employee of the Year Award is a speech and language therapist from there.

Then when I was in my early twenties I was diagnosed formally in Cambridge by Dr Asif Zia. Both of my diagnoses were Asperger syndrome, although my later one is borderline Asperger syndrome/PDD NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified).

What is being autistic like for you?

Being autistic is like being the equivalent of a front engine rear wheel drive car, powerful (on things like writing and public speaking) yet at the same time prone to spins too (particularly around informal situations)!

Kind of like a Toyota Supra, which is fitting. Although this car has had its issues, it has had a lot of success in motor racing and is coming back to the Japanese Super GT series next year.

Congratulations on winning the coveted Employee of the Year Award! What did your role as Autism Access Specialist involve exactly?

Thanks! I did three main jobs.

I administrated the Autism Friendly Inbox which meant dealing with different enquiries on how to make things more autism friendly.

I oversaw the Autism Friendly Award and awarded it for individual businesses and venues. This was like being the equivalent of an American Football referee, and a sumo referee as it was both technical (in that I judged applications) and ceremonial (in that I awarded the award).

I was the lead for Autism-Friendly and Relaxed Performances. This included recruiting and overseeing volunteers at events, as well as training cast and crew whether at Matilda The Musical or The Play That Goes Wrong, and recommending adjustments.

You’ve recently moved roles to become a Job Coach at the National Autistic Society. How is that going?

It’s safe to say that we’re getting up to speed and the fun is truly beginning. Our first candidates are soon starting their positions.

That being said, I’ve already had some interesting experiences - including speaking at the Charity Learning Conference last month on behalf of our team. I also visited an IT company called Forever Beta and the British Association of Supported Employment Conference for our team.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

I enjoy the exploring most of all. And I don’t just mean travelling to lots of interesting places and going behind the scenes (which I love doing in any case, whether I’m visiting airports, businesses etc). I mean exploring the different areas (such as employment or accessibility) and meeting new people face to face or virtually. It’s like a dog getting a trip to a beach on one day and then a trip to some interesting fields another day: a sensory paradise!

What has been your proudest moment?