'My message for parents and children'

My name is Ryan Eckford, and I was born on the 19th December, 1992. I am 25 years old.

I have Asperger’s Syndrome, and my dream is to hopefully one day become a sports commentator/sports presenter/sports journalist/sports writer!

At the age of two, my parents realised that I hadn’t started to talk, so they took me to occupational and speech therapists, which I saw numerous times until the end of primary school.

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At three years and two months of age, my mum took me to a centre in the Hunter region which specialises in helping young children and their families early childhood, development and disability. Eight months later, I started to talk!

At the age of four I started going to an early intervention unit at a public school. At the same age, I was diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum.

During primary school, I had a number of good teachers who were excellent at going through and explaining different tasks, encouraging students to ask questions if they were unsure about something.

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During this time, I was a finalist at the school’s public speaking competition. I also became a school prefect, an achievement I am really proud of.

I started high school and was Vice Captain as well as a member of the Student Representative Council for five of my six years there. I won a public speaking competition, talking about how sport has had a massive impact on my life.

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I went on to study Communications and Media at TAFE NSW, did work experience at a local newspaper and then in 2013, managed to get into the University of Newcastle.

In 2015, I graduated with a Bachelor of Communication degree, and then graduated again the following year with a Bachelor of Communication (Honours) degree, where I did a thesis looking at ‘The impact of social media on sports journalism in a regional Australian city’, achieving a Honours Class II, Division One.

However, despite my achievements, doing work experience at the Maitland Mercury and NBN Television, work placement and then being an intern-at-large at 1233 ABC Newcastle, I have found it very difficult to find a job opportunity, and I have struggled to find an opportunity for the last 15 months.

I have been bullied by a number of workplaces due to my autism, but I will never give up on my dreams. One workplace said I had to leave because they couldn't insure me and many never took me seriously.

No one should ever be treated in that way.

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I decided to set up my own sports blog called Ryan Eckford Sports as a way to showcase my skills, which I am thinking about monetising.

During the first couple of months, I had a confusing situation as to whether a couple of media organisations wanted me or not, where some mistakes were made. I have applied for many opportunities at different media organisations, but have been unsuccessful. I am also continuing to practice my commentary at home.

This is what I want to tell parents of children with autism, and the children themselves.

You must be more adaptable to their needs of children with autism, because they can’t adjust as well as what you may want.

We also struggle with change that we aren’t in control with, or expecting.

You must explain clearly, with details, any changes, particularly big changes, that you may be about to make – even if it appears small to everyone else – instead of “pulling the rug out” from underneath them.

However, the greatest piece of advice I could give anyone touched by someone with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome is to never give up on them.

Never give up on them in any way because sometimes, if you give them a fair chance, they have the ability to prove everyone – including the doubters, many of whom didn’t give them a fair chance – wrong!

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As for myself, I am not giving up on my dreams to become a sports commentator/sports presenter/sports journalist/sports writer! I have a huge passion and knowledge of sport I know would be extremely beneficial to any media organisation that has sport as a key component to what they do!

For the record, at the time of publication, ever since I finished at the University of Newcastle in November 2016, I have not once attempted to go to Centrelink asking for some kind of payment, so I have not cheated the welfare system in any way.

I am person who aims to do things in the right way, a professional way, leaving nothing to chance, being fully immersed in what you are doing, being a leader in what you do, and doing it in a way that makes everyone proud! We must remember that life, and thus work, is a mission, and that a mission is a marathon, not a sprint!

My mission started when I was born, and it has been accelerated along the way by many people. I feel an obligation to finish the mission, and achieve my dream of becoming a top-level sports commentator/sports presenter/sports journalist/sports writer!

I never give up!