Autistic teen’s devastated dad is on a mission
Autistic teen’s devastated dad is on a mission
Jonathan Scott-Lee’s bond with his 16-year-old daughter, who died by suicide in April, was all the stronger as they were both autistic. The neurodiversity champion explains what needs to change.
What solidified their bond was that they were both autistic. "There are lots of strengths with neurodiversity, such as creativity and problem-solving, but there are some challenges as well, such as attention focus or social skills," says Scott-Lee, who was an HSBC neurodiversity ambassador before Caitlyn's suicide. Her passion for advocating for autistic adults began in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where she established the first autistic support group. "In addition to mentoring autistic and ADHD teens and adults, I recognised a growing demand for corporate neurodiversity training," Sinclair says. As someone who is autistic and has ADHD, Sinclair is aware of the importance of neurodivergent voices being heard and valued within the workplace. "After losing a friend, who was also autistic, to suicide, I felt compelled to do more for the neurodivergent community."It's a sad reality that autistics have a higher rate of suicidal ideation and suicide than the general population, and it's the highest rate of all disability groups. " At her lowest point, Sinclair - who spent more than 15 years in the corporate world, unaware that she was autistic and had ADHD - says she also contemplated suicide.
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