Autistic Awakening

My own autistic awakening

Interviewed by Angelo Dilullo

Autism & Buddhist Practice

The following is an interview series with the autistic contributors to the book “Autism and Buddhist Practice - How Buddhism can help autistic adults cultivate wellbeing”

This series of reflective accounts explores the benefits that Buddhist practice can bring for autistic individuals, and outlines how Dharma teachers, centre directors and meditation group leaders can help ensure sessions are truly autism sensitive.
Including a wide range of international contributors discussing aspects of their autistic experience and the impact of Buddhism on their lives, this is a thought-provoking and often moving portrayal of the intersect between the lived experience of autistic people and spiritual practice.
The deeply personal accounts of the positive impact Buddhist practices have had on relationships, social interactions, sensory overload, mental health and wellbeing, provide an opportunity to find out more about both Buddhism and the support that it can offer to the autistic community through, for example, personal practice, parenting and special educational provision.

Published: Dec 21 2022
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781839971570

To reach out, inform and educate

Barry Taylor "Unsocially Social"

Barry Taylor is a part time primary school teacher and adult Welsh language tutor from Pontllanfraith, South Wales. He was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 46. A theologically educated former Christian, Barry practises with both the Thai Theravada and the Tibetan Vajrayana traditions. Although at heart he is a Theravada Buddhist, he finds great benefit in both traditions and appreciates the breadth of wisdom that can be accessed by having teachers from two such different lineages.

Dani Hall

“Calm in the eye of the storm”

Dani is a passionate birder, ecologist, wildlife photographer, gardener and environmentalist. She is also active in human, animal and environmental rights. She is a full-time student and has just completed research on habitat fragmentation as it relates to birds. When her studies are complete, she plans to teach people about birding, ecosystems and regenerative gardening. She joined the Florida Community of Mindfulness in December 2020 and feels incredibly at home with her beautiful sangha. Dani lives in the Tampa Bay area on Florida with her husband, Brent and their 3 lovely boys.

Chris Jarrell

“Buddhism helps in every day life”

In this interview I speak with Chris Jarrell who is the editor of the book and also wrote chapter 6 called "The Triple Jewel - How Buddhism helps me manage anxiety in everyday life".
We talk about how taking refuge can help us manage anger, meltdowns and anxiety.
Chris is a retired social work lecturer and counsellor who started his working life in the mid-1970s with people with a learning disability. He has a PhD in Gender Studies and an MA in Educational Studies, both from the University of Hull. Chris has a very late ASD diagnosis and calls himself a Buddhist nomad because he has been unable to settle with one tradition.

Louise Woodford

"Meeting a
Buddhist Monk"

Louise was at a point in her life where she experienced weekly migraines and never felt she fit in anywhere. And when she then one day met a Buddhist monk, was introduced to the Dharma and experienced meditation everything changed. Today Louise is no longer connected to a Sangha since it proved to be to difficult and demand too much masking to fit in.
Louise and her family enjoy a home-education lifestyle. She and her husband run two small business from their home in the south-east of England.

Pete Grella

"True Freedom"

In this interview I speak with Pete Grella who wrote chapter 4 "True Freedom - What Buddhism Teaches Us About Difference & Acceptance". We talk about the difficulty of not feeling emotions, not fitting in and been able to fit in. As Pete write in his chapter "I remember as a child looking out the window an seeing the other kids in the street playing, and asking myself, why, why am I on this side of the window and how can I get to the other side?"
Today Pete is a Los Angeles based meditation facilitator empowered by InsightLA. He has been meditating and studying secular Buddhism for the past decade. Pete is using the tools of Buddhist meditation after experiencing his own transformation and is an avid proponent of meditation as a resource for adults on the spectrum. Pete is teaching meditation online for autists every first Monday of the month and you are more than welcome to join. You find Pete here: and here

Dena Rashkover

"My Classroom
is my Sangha"

In this interview I speak with Dena Rashkover who wrote chapter 11 "My Classroom is my Sangha - Compassion and Loving Kindness in Special Needs Education".
Dena is one of the few neurotypical contributors to the book.
We talk about how it is to be a Buddhist and a teacher in the Special Education Class. We talk about how beneficial Buddhist practice is regarding insights to become a better teacher.
Dena is a free-spirited special needs teacher and Dharma practitioner residing in North Carolina. She integrates socially engaged Buddhism into her work in a public elementary school setting. She has been teaching young children with significant, multiple needs for 28 years.

Prajnanandi

"Finding Friendships"

In this interview I speak with Prajnanandi who wrote chapter 12 "Joining a Sangha - Finding a Way to Friendship" . We talk about how difficult it is to build close friendships. We work well with people, we get on with people, but we rarely develop deep friendships with people.
Prajnanandi is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Community and has been practising Buddhism for 15 years.

In the conversation we are talking about an interview Prajnanandi does with Ratnaguna. You can find it here.

Lian Beijers

"The 5 Mindfulness Trainings"

In this interview I speak with Dr. Lian Beijers who wrote chapter 9 "The 5 Mindfulness Trainings and how they helped me to be authentically autistic" We talk about how beneficial Buddhist practice is in managing perception and we talk a lot about how the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, the 5 Precepts and the 5 Positive Precepts helps us as autists to navigate our lives.
Lian has a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology. She began practising in the Plum Village Tradition in 2019.