Beloved Aussie comedian Josh Thomas has taken to Instagram to reveal he has “known for a while now” that he is Autistic.
In a touching post, Josh Thomas explained his decision to share the news was inspired by the lack of representation of Autistic people in the media.
“It’s been a nice experience for me, figuring it out. I’ve learnt to understand myself better and it’s helped people around me do the same. There’s been a lot of emotions but the most dominant one has been relief,” he wrote.
“I’ve decided to share this with everyone because the range of Autistic people and characters we see in the media is very slim when the autism spectrum is huge and varied. So here I am, another version of an Autistic person for people to see. Hopefully, this helps further colour in, and add texture to [society’s] idea of what an Autistic person is.”
Previously, Thomas revealed he was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder) at the age of 28.
Thomas has long championed the inclusion of neurodiverse characters in entertainment, and his latest TV show Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is proof of that.
The show stars Autistic actor Kayla Cromer as Thomas’ character’s half-sister Matilda, who is also Autistic.
Cromer’s casting marked the first time an American show has featured an Autistic lead played by an Autistic actor.
On top of that, Thomas’ first hit show Please Like Me featured Hannah Gadsby, who has also been open about finding out she was Autistic later in life.
You can read more about this topic over at the Comedy Observer.
Check out Josh Thomas’ Instagram post in full:
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