During this bonus episode of the podcast, 23 year old autistic filmmaker Louis Bennies talks about his neurodiverse journey. He shares a little about some of the gifts and unique differences his parents saw in him that may have contributed to them moving forward on his ASD/ADHD diagnosis. Louis also shares how his college thesis focused on how autistic people are portrayed in film and tv. Part of his work as a writer, filmmaker and producer is to show the world the many dimensions and strengths of autistic individuals. It makes him sad to see only the stereotypes of autism that are portrayed in film and tv. So he is using his many creative talents and skills to help change that and increase understanding of neurodiversity. Last year, Louis released a wonderful short film called "SIGNALES" that was produced with German speaking actors, but has captions in English. The film is a wonderfully honest example of what a first love can look like, when an autistic young man is interested in a fellow student who is not autistic. Through his film Louis wants people to know how autistic people feel and think in various life situations, including romantic relationships. Louis is a gifted writer, filmmaker and producer and is working on making his short film into a feature film. In the expanded film, he wants to delve deeper into the main characters and show how they deal with more of life's challenges and difficulties. Louis hopes to one day be a studio film director and loves making dramas that show real-life situations, that include conflict that is told in an honest, realistic way. He loves to be moved by movies---and I think anyone that watches "Signales" will be moved by the young couple that is navigating their unique differences and strengths with kindness, compassion and grace. Check out the short film Signales on Louis Bennies YouTube Channel. You can also follow Louis on IG @mindmaster58 If you are interested in helping to fund the feature length version of Signales, please check out the fundraising page. Thanks everyone:-) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to contact Mona you can e-mail her at: [email protected] or you can follow her on Instagram @neurodiverse_love You can also check out the resources available at: www.neurodiverselove.com Thanks for being part of the Neurodiverse Love community!

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.