Leeds man Callum Gamble on why his book about autism can help parents, children, partners and employers

It is a memoir which tells readers about his childhood, school years, family life, dating, employment and much more, but also works as a practical guide, as each section closes with helpful tips for people who are autistic and neurotypical (those with “standard brain wiring,” he writes).

Callum, 26, has Asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder describing those who are high-functioning. He was diagnosed at eight years old and had a happy childhood, but faced a number of difficulties during the transition to adulthood.

While he cautions that the book is written from only his personal viewpoint – it includes a quote from US-based autistic professor of special education, Dr Stephen Shore, that “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism” – he neverthless hopes it will be useful in helping guardians, partners and employers.

He says: “I was always aware that I had autism, I was diagnosed at eight years old, but it takes you a while to actually accept the condition because, from my experience, awareness and acceptance are two completely different things altogether. What I found within the autism and neurodiversity landscape is that the awareness has improved astronomically in the past few decades, but the acceptance is still lacking.”

About a year ago he had “one of the lowest points in my life”, and decided that the best way to get through it was to write down what his problems were, exploring how he could have taken “accountability” for them and consider what his solutions were.

“That was really the whole idea behind it,” he says. “It wasn't that daunting because at the time, it felt like I really had nothing to lose.”

It was, he says a “very therapeutic process” and now believes he has the book to refer back to when in need of a boost to his self-esteem.

Callum and his mother, Caren Launus-Gamble, run Leeds-based website accessibility and digital inclusion business, KreativeInc. He credits his parents for their huge amount of support during his journey to acceptance.

“They have been really supportive. They would always say to me: ‘Always go down the path you want to go down’. And also, the kind of motto which I think relates to the book is: ‘Start believing your difference is a strength’. Because they always said that to me when I struggled to accept my autism.”

Certain public figures have also been important to Callum when making sense of himself, and there are quotes in the book from people who inspire him.

“I always have to look back at successful people who have different minds, like I do, and see the different struggles they went through. Whenever I feel low, that always inspires me as well.”

These include Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, all from Formula One, which is among his ‘specialist interests’ – common to people with autism – alongside boxing history, television, travel and self-development.

Then there are business world figures such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos.

Initially, going into the world of work presented difficulties.

Callum graduated with a first class honours in creative media technology from Leeds Beckett University in 2019, and managed to secure employment at a web development agency not long after, but lasted only three weeks at the business.

He thinks that having a clear understanding between both parties about what is needed from the very beginning – including necessary adjustments for people with autism - is important.

"There are so many great autistic employees who can help a company progress,” he says.

Callum says that an early diagnosis is important, as it gives those who are autistic and those close to them more time to process the condition, improving their mental health in the long-run and enabling “harmony within the house”.

Having discussed the topic of later diagnosis with people, he says: “These individuals who I’ve talked to have gone through a lot of pain in their lives, it must be said, and I think the main reason for that is because they couldn't explain to themselves why they were different, let alone explaining it to other people.”

The book also features a foreword written by Rob Potts, author of The Caring Teacher and Callum’s former sixth form teacher at Fulneck School, who describes his old student as “a role model to all young people”.

Callum says: “He was one of those teachers that really understood me and understood how I could fulfill my potential at school.”

And he is ambitious about the book’s potential too.

“From a young age, I've always aspired to be a successful entrepreneur and author. So of course I want From the Darkness into the Light to become a best-seller - but for the reason that it reaches as many people as possible, because at the end of the day, my main goal is really to help you and other people.”

- From the Dark into the Light, by Callum Gamble, is available now on Amazon.