This short film is a run of photos of my son Eden, who is autistic and non-speaking, from fifteen months old to his first day of high school. It’s where What About Autism starts. I’m also looking for other families who want to tell their own story in the documentaries.
Every photo in this video is Eden. From fifteen months old, flicking cups, to his first day of high school.
Looking through them, I can see the whole road. The early signs we didn’t understand yet. The years without sleep. The isolation. And then the people who turned up when we least expected it and made all the difference.
Why I’m making this
For a long time it felt like nobody around us understood what life with a non-speaking autistic child is actually like. That isn’t a complaint. It’s just how it is when the world hasn’t been shown.
So I’m showing it. What About Autism is a series of short films and documentaries about our life with Eden: the hard days, the small wins, and the system that so often lets families like ours down.
Your story matters too
This isn’t meant to be only our story. If you’re living with autism, ADHD or any disability, visible or not, and you’d like to be part of the documentaries, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me through the contact page or by messaging What About Autism on Facebook or Instagram.
Worth knowing
autistic Australians were counted in 2022.
ABS, 2022autistic people worldwide in 2021, roughly 1 in 127.
Global Burden of Disease 2021Nobody officially counts how many autistic people don’t speak. Researchers estimate around a quarter to a third.
University of Virginia, 2024Questions people ask
What is What About Autism?
It’s a documentary channel by Tim Brand, a filmmaker on the Central Coast of NSW, about life with his son Eden, who is autistic and non-speaking. It covers everyday family life and the systems that fail families like his.
How can I share my family's story?
Get in touch through the website or message What About Autism on Facebook or Instagram. Stories about autism, ADHD and any disability, visible or invisible, are welcome.
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Follow our story
If this meant something to you, the best thing you can do is subscribe and share it with someone who has never lived with autism. That is who I am making this for.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Autism in Australia, 2022.
- Global Burden of Disease 2021 autism findings, IHME, Lancet Psychiatry, December 2024.
- Jaswal VK et al., Autism, 2024; University of Virginia, study reveals unexpected literacy in autistic people who cannot speak (March 2024).
