WHAT YA WANNA KNOW????
Get to know a little more about me....
Hi, I’m Vanessa D’Souza The Autistic Chef ™
I am late diagnosed Autistic, with ADHD and I really struggle with sensory processing.
After many years of masking to ‘fit in’ living a life I thought was expected of me; I am finally on my journey of self-discovery to find my authentic self.
My only goal is to be ‘me’.
I hope to be as open and honest as I can about my journey, my experiences, my thoughts and my feelings in the hope it can help others along the way.
I hope to create not only more awareness, but true acceptance of neurodivergent minds like mine. I am currently the only person making her recipes and food accessible to everyone, including those with neurodivergences and disabilities.
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MasterChef UK 2023
You may recognise me from MasterChef UK 2023 where I got the semi-finals.
I was very open about my Autism & how my sensory sensitivities affect how I cook, present and eat foods.
I never expected how just being honest about my struggles with food & textures would resonate with so many thousands of people nationwide.
I will continue to be as transparent as I can be about my challenges when it comes to food, cooking, sensory sensitivities & presentation of food. I hope that sharing my experiences can help normalise the struggles that can come with being neurodivergent surrounding food. that are both healthy and tasty.
I am currently the only person making her recipes and food accessible to everyone, including those with neurodivergences and disabilities.
Things I hope to do...
- Champion neurodivergent acceptance & inclusion.
- Raise awareness of neurodiversity through my own lived experiences.
- Share coping mechanisms & strategies that work for me especially with food.
- Build a strong online neurodivergent community for support.
- Celebrate neurodivergent individuals, especially those of colour like me.
Who I hope to help...
- Other neurodivergent people on their own journey.
- Myself! I often find sharing my neurodivergent experiences helps me feel free.
- Neurotypicals wanting to learn more about neurodivergent brains.
- Parents or caregivers of neurodivergent and especially autistic children.
- Anyone who struggles with food or feeding their children.