- Source: Paige Layle
Paige Hennekam (born August 2, 2000), better known as Paige Layle, is a Canadian ADHD and autism acceptance activist and author. She is known for discussing her experiences with ADHD and autism on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube since 2020. Her first book, But Everyone Feels This Way: How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life, was released in 2024.
Early life
Layle was born Paige Hennekam in Kawartha Lakes on August 2, 2000. She attempted suicide at the age of 15, after which she was diagnosed with autism, OCD, and ADHD.
Career
Layle started making TikTok videos about autism in March 2020, after hearing an audio clip on TikTok that mocked autistic people. She created a four-part video series on autism in girls to address common misconceptions about the disorder. In 2020 and 2021, she joined other members of the autism community in weighing in on the controversy surrounding Sia's film Music.
In 2021, Layle and other autism advocates such as Chloé Hayden criticized Color the Spectrum: A Livestream to Support the Autism Community, a fundraiser launched by Mark Rober in support of NEXT for AUTISM. She critiqued NEXT for funding Autism Speaks, an organization that has received backlash for its attempts to "cure" autism. To counter Color the Spectrum, Layle and other advocates planned to host a fundraising livestream on the same date and time to raise money for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). The livestream was later cancelled due to allegations that ASAN had plagiarized work from Indigenous creator Autistic, Typing.
In 2022, Layle was a performer for the audiobook version of Wendy Walker's American Girl, produced by Audible.
Layle's first book, But Everyone Feels This Way: How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life, was released in March 2024.
As of November 2024, Layle has 2.7 million TikTok followers, 173,000 Instagram followers, and 183,000 YouTube subscribers.
Personal life
Layle is pansexual and uses she/her and they/them pronouns. She continues to reside in Kawartha Lakes, where she works as a teacher.
