Rubberbandits star Blindboy Boatclub has announced he has been diagnosed with autism.
The podcaster and author opened up about the diagnosis on this week’s episode of The Blindboy Podcast, after previously telling fans that he had been undergoing some tests in recent weeks.
He told how his fans alerted him to seek tests in the first place, after noticing signs in him that they had experienced themselves too.
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"If you've been listening to this podcast for the last few weeks, you'll know that I’m currently undergoing an assessment for autism," he said during the episode titled 'Intrapersonally Speaking'.
“Because I have lots of autistic listeners to this podcast, not just autistic, people who are neurodivergent, maybe ADHD, so quite a few listeners over the past few years have flagged with me that certain aspects of how I speak about things, or relate to the world, reminds them of themselves and their own autism."
"I got my diagnosis at the weekend, and I am, in fact, autistic, which is quite a lot to take on board, to be honest."
The well known personality, real name David Chambers, who first shot to fame as part of duo the Rubberbandits for their viral rap ‘Horse Outside’, said it has been a 'real challenge' coming to terms with the news.
He explained: “First off, the weird thing about it is I receive a diagnosis, which is quite medicalised. And it’s getting my head around it is odd. Because finding out I am autistic is a real challenge to my sense of identity if you get what i’m saying..”
"The thing with diagnosis is that there is this irrational part of my brain is like, 'I'm after 'getting' autism', when, in fact, what's happened is, someone has just given me a new word to describe how I've been my entire life.
"So I've been autistic my whole life, since I was born, I'm just finding it out now in my 30s.
“Which is quite challenging, it is very challenging to receive new information like that."
The Limerick native went on to discuss his initial feelings after receiving the diagnosis, and how he is trying to process the news since, adding: “I’m not going to talk about anyone else's f***ing experience, because here’s the other odd thing, I just found out that I am autistic but I don’t know a hell of a lot about autism. And the one thing I can’t help is that the space of autism is a bit of a mindfield.
Taking to social media to announce the news with followers and fans, he said: “I just found out that I am Autistic. I speak about my experience of learning this about myself. Dog Bless.”
Responding to comments underneath the post wishing him well, he added: “I haven’t received any bad news. I’ve just been given a new word to describe how I’ve been my whole life.”
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