Has being diagnosed as autistic later than the national average put a new perspective on your older comedy material?

I wrote an entire radio script for my Writing and Producing Comedy Course at the National Film and Television school, which was then shortlisted in a writing competition. At the time, I thought I was writing a piece about growing up in a new-age community but reading it back, it’s basically a piece about an autistic little girl – and I had no idea.

What advice do you have for autistic people who want to start writing comedy?

Writing and comedy are crafts that take time to hone. Give it a real go, you’d be amazed how much you can learn and develop.

What advice would you give to someone who has just received an autism diagnosis?

There’s nothing wrong with you, you’ve just found your people. Get on those Facebook support groups and get chatting – you’ll feel like you’ve just landed on your home planet.

Give yourself time to get used to the idea and make any adjustments you need to make life easier for you now that you know why some things are more difficult. Also don’t be alarmed if you go through some ups and downs, or you suddenly find it more difficult to mask your autistic behaviours now you’re more aware of them. It’s all a process.