Podcast E22: Wemzy - Autism and the African Community

This week I get to speak with Wemima (Wemzy), a mum of three autistic children. They live in the North of England, and Wemzy shares stories from their lives on her TikTok and Instagram pages Aqotas.If you spend any time on the autism side of TikTok, then I’m sure you will have come across their page and their wonderful family. There are so many heartwarming, funny videos that she shares, and the bond between them all is lovely to watch.We talk about the early days, getting an autism diagnosis for her eldest, Shaheem, and what she learned along the way. Shaheem, Soufiyan and Sousan have very different personalities and needs, so we talk about the balancing act it takes to try and meet those needs and keep everybody happy.I met Wemzy at the start of the summer at the SEN Reform Protest, so we talked about her family’s experience with the schooling system.Each of her children has different levels of communication and spoken words, we talk about that development, and how important the use of AAC has been in their home.We talk about autism within the African community and some of the stigma and misinformation that has made life more challenging for her family. Wemzy also talks very openly and honestly about how religious abuse is also so prevalent, and the damage it does to so many within the community.Wemzy is hugely passionate about standing up for her beliefs, and for those who need support, something she offers each day through her stories and the relationships she’s built online. I loved getting to know more about her and her story, and I’m sure you will too.To find out more about Wemzy and her family, you can follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aqotas/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aqotasTo follow us and learn more about me and my boysInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesaboutautism/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stories_about_autismFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesaboutautism This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesaboutautism.substack.com