Brian LaRosa Has Autism
Hello trainspotters,
I am very proud to announce that I have autism, which has strangely been associated with trains for a long time. It all started in November 2001 when my family and I took a trip from our old home in Cap-d'Ail (near Monaco) to London, England for my diagnosis; I was five years old at that time. I can remember the time when I watched several episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine during our visit, some of which I’d probably never seen before. And because England is the birthplace of the popular TV show, I also recall our brief visit to a large toy store (named Hamleys) that sells lots of Thomas & Friends merchandise. Interestingly, the United Kingdom National Autistic Society researched the relationship between the little blue engine and children with autism as well as Asperger syndrome in the same year I was diagnosed. Additionally, we even took a ride on a subway train of the London Underground system to and from my diagnostic appointment. Other attractions we visited include the Cutty Sark ship, the National Maritime Museum, and the Science Museum. The latter features Stephenson’s Rocket and some other preserved steam engines.
It wasn’t until my teenage years when I found out that I am on the autistic spectrum, albeit a high-functioning person. Ever since I joined YouTube at age 13 in 2009, I might have had a few issues reciting my speech fluently while recording videos. I do understand the mistakes I’ve made in some of them, which could be the possible reason for some negative feedback (or dislikes) I’ve received throughout my YouTube channel. As I grew older, though, I’m continuing to improve my video skills in an effort to make LaRosa’s Trains better than before. For instance, I worked so hard writing all the fully complete sentences on my script for the MTH Electric Trains documentary that I uploaded last spring. As a result, I knew that it would help me speak a little bit faster like a non-autistic person; the same thing will apply to my future videos. Overall, the fact that I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism 20 years ago is the purpose of this blog post. Regardless of the minor mental problems I may have, I am very thankful for your wonderful support between my YouTube channel and Facebook page.
To learn more about autism mixed with trains, I recommend the following link to a long blog post from Railfan Depot. I hope this explains why it has become a more significant topic in terms of interests and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since a lot of you may be traveling to meet your families and friends this year, I wish you all a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Your trainspotting friend,
Brian