How do you improve your relationship with autism? What does self acceptance feel like? What is autism acceptance like across cultures? In this episode of the Thoughty Auti Podcast, Thomas Henley talks to Dr. Mordehai Benhamou - a researcher and lecturer at the Israeli Autism Research Center. The Jerusalem based pioneer in autism advocacy, Mordi is somewhat of a celebrity in his country for his appearances on Israeli TV. With his #1 bestselling book 'Autism, Falafel And Rock & Roll' topping the charts in Israeli, he continues to have an impact the lives of neurotypicals and autistic people alike. Mordi shares his experiences in France, Israel and Algeria, noting that autistic people in Israel are perceived as the "closest human beings to God". The Israeli army have also been recruiting autistic people in the Intelligence Services due to their special skills. In France, Neurodiverse individuals are held as disabled or more ironically... a Charlatan. Being a man of science, Dr. Benhamou explains the positive and negative consequences of integrating science into every area of his life; Sociology and Psychology being areas that both improved his understanding of the world, but also contributed to masking. He didn't give himself space to explore his autistic self. Mordi's journey of self-acceptance started at a cross road. On one hand he could keep blaming others for his unhappiness, and on the other he could take responsibility for his own development. Through his Psychologist Efrat, his eyes were opened by her willingness to accept her flaws. She taught him how to do the same. Perhaps the hardest challenge to overcome is yourself. Building that sense of confidence from the inside-out is a difficult feat, but especially when you mask and hide your true nature from the world. To be someone else is to become a pale copy of them. "You can learn and imitate, but one day like Oedipus you must kill your father" Mordi recognises that personal development is often based on the examples of others, but you may only be free when you develop your own brand. Honesty with the world and yourself is the core message behind this episode, so sit back and enjoy a conversation between these two inspirational men! If you have an exciting or interesting story and want to appear on the next podcast, please contact me at: [email protected] Mordi's Links:- Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Falafel-Rock-Roll-atypical-ebook/dp/B089ZZMMGM YouTube - https://youtube.com/c/TheAutisticGuitarist ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Website - https://www.thomashenley.co.uk ♫ THOUGHTY AUTI PODCAST Get it on Spotify free here - https://open.spotify.com/show/6vjXgCB7Q3FwtQ2YqPjnEV FOLLOW ME On Social Media ♥ - ☼ Facebook - Aspergers Growth ☼ Twitter - @aspergersgrowth ☼ Instagram - @aspergersgrowth