In Memory of Donna Williams (1963-2017)

12 October 2025 would have been Donna Williams’ 62^nd birthday — a day to remember not only an extraordinary woman but also a mind that changed the landscape of autism understanding forever.

Donna (Polly) wasn't just an “autism advocate.” She was an interpreter of worlds — someone who could bridge the gap between autistic perception and neurotypical assumptions with astonishing clarity. Her work revealed how autistic people experience sensory, emotional, and cognitive realities in ways profoundly different from the majority, and how this knowledge can shape effective, respectful support.

Her contribution was immense. Her autobiographical books — Nobody Nowhere, Somebody Somewhere, Like Colour to the Blind, and Everyday Heaven — remain deeply influential. They are more than memoirs: they are roadmaps into a sensory and perceptual world most people can barely imagine.

But just as important are her more technical and educational works, including Autism: an Inside-Out Approach, The Jumbled Jigsaw, and her practical guides for parents, educators, and clinicians. These are not just “helpful reading” — they should be required textbooks in every university Autism Studies programme. Through these works, Donna equipped professionals to understand before acting and to support autistic individuals as whole human beings, not diagnostic labels.

Unlike many voices in today’s advocacy movement, Donna never demanded special treatment or services for herself. She devoted her energy to supporting the most vulnerable — children who are non-verbal or require high levels of support, families navigating daily challenges, and individuals with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism seeking guidance. She offered practical solutions and deep insight, always grounded in lived experience and empathy.

I will never forget the day my 8-year-old son and I met Donna. Sitting on the carpet in the middle of the room, Donna and I were talking, while Alyosha was running in circles flipping his toy in front of his eyes and producing his usual vocalisations, oblivious to what was going on around him.

29 February 1996

I told Donna how painful his hearing was, how overwhelmed he seemed by sounds. She observed him for a moment, then said:

“You know, I think he sees the world the way I did before I started wearing Irlen glasses. Without them, everything was fragmented. I might look at someone and see a nose, then an eye, then an ear… all these pieces had to be pasted together in my head to make sense of the whole. The coloured lenses did the pasting for me. They freed up my senses for other things. I think tinted glasses will help him too.”

I was surprised: “But I thought it was his hearing.”

“No,” she replied, “his auditory hypersensitivity comes from visual overload. I know — I was like this.”

In that moment, Donna gave me something extraordinary: a way to see through my son's eyes. She interpreted his behaviours from the inside out, showing me that what I saw as “problems” were actually logical adaptations to a sensory environment that overwhelmed him. It was as if I’d been blind and deaf to his inner world — and suddenly, everything became clearer.

This was Donna’s gift to so many families. She didn’t just promote autism awareness; she taught autism understanding. She showed how, once you understand the mechanisms at play, you can remove the blocks holding a child back — and address very real challenges through practical strategies. She believed in building on strengths, not just compensating for difficulties, and in helping each child develop their potential in their own way.

Donna’s legacy is alive in every parent who learns to interpret their child’s behaviour with empathy. It lives in every professional who chooses to listen first. And it shines in those autistic individuals who see themselves reflected truthfully in her words.

Today, we remember her not only with gratitude but with a renewed commitment to continue the work she began.

“When you truly understand a child, you can help them build the bridge between their world and yours — without tearing either one down.”

Donna Williams built those bridges. And because of her, countless others can now cross them.