Hi, I’m Gemma, founder of The Long Game. I’m autistic, as are many members of my family. I discovered I was autistic (as well as having ADHD) in my thirties and I have first hand experience of the issues faced by autistic people in the workplace; including many years when I was unaware that my differences were due to me being autistic.
In my own search for support, I found there was a lack of peer support resources that enabled autistic individuals to learn from each others experiences. I also became aware of the false stereotypes portrayed in the media and the harm this can do, especially in the way an individual is treated and the opportunities they are offered.
The Long Game works with autistic students and graduates to create opportunities for our community to share their knowledge and experience, whether this be through employability events, on-line resources or 1:1 mentoring. Through this we hope to develop new insights into the autistic community so that our different backgrounds and circumstances are consistently appreciated and valued positively.
I am aware that long lasting, meaningful and enduring change happens one small step at a time. As the charity’s name highlights: we are in this for the long term.
“Creating change”
Our 2021 – 2026 strategy focuses our efforts across four key themes:
“Own your tomorrow”
Through promoting peer led support, we empower autistic students and graduates, giving them the opportunity to drive change for themselves and for members of the wider autistic community, in education and in the workplace. Our work will ensure that every autistic graduate – no matter where they grew up, who their parents are, or what school they went to – will have the opportunity to succeed and attain their career goals.