Paige Layle

Paige Hennekam (born August 2, 2000), who goes by the name Paige Layle on social media, is a Canadian Autism and ADHD acceptance activist, YouTuber and TikToker.

Paige Layle
Born	Paige Hennekam (2000-08-02) August 2, 2000 (age 22) Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Years active	2015–present
Known for	Autism activism

Career

Activism

After initially downloading TikTok "as a joke",^[1] Hennekam started making videos on the platform in March 2020.^[2] She was inspired to make videos after hearing an audio clip on TikTok that made fun of autistic people.^[3] Layle created a four part video series on autism in girls to address common misconceptions about the disorder.^[4] In 2020 and 2021, Layle and other members of the autism community weighed in on controversy surrounding Sia's film Music.^[5]

In 2021, Layle and other autism advocates criticized Color The Spectrum: A Livestream To Support the Autism Community, a fundraiser launched by Mark Rober in support of NEXT for Autism. Layle critiqued NEXT for funding Autism Speaks and attempting to cure autism. To counter Color the Spectrum, Layle and other advocates planned to host a fundraising livestream on the same date at the same time to raise money for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.^[6][7] The livestream was later cancelled due to allegations that ASAN plagiarized work from Indigenous creator Autistic, Typing.^[8]

Hennekam has over 55 million likes^[9] and 2.4 million subscribers on TikTok.^[10] She also has over 131,000 followers on Instagram.^[11]

Other

In 2022, Hennekam was a performer for the audiobook of Wendy Walker's American Girl, produced by Audible.^[12]

Personal life

At age 15, Hennekam attempted suicide. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with autism.^[2][13] Hennekam also has obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.^[14][4][15] She is pansexual^[15] and uses she and they pronouns.^[16]

Hennekam lives in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario and works as a lash technician.^[17][18]

References

1. Tucker, Olivia (2021-01-20). "TikTok Creators Like Paige Layle Are Redefining Narratives About Autism". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2021-01-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
2. Favaro, Avis; Neustaeter, Brooklyn; St. Phillip, Elizabeth (2020-06-25). "Canadian teen shatters autism stereotypes with candid videos on TikTok". CTV News. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. Bode, Lucy. "This Woman Is Using TikTok To Educate Her Followers About Living With Autism". Women's Health. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. Emanuel, Daniella (2020-03-10). "A Girl On TikTok With Autism Is Going Viral For Talking About How Autism Is Different In Women". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
5. Moore, Andria (2020-11-24). "Paige Layle, An Autistic TikToker, Weighed In On The Sia/Maddie Ziegler Movie Drama". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2021-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
6. Holcomb, Rebecca (2021-04-24). "TikTok Star Page Layle Plans Livestream Fundraiser For ASAN To Protest Jimmy Kimmel's NEXT For Autism Fundraiser". TheThings. Retrieved 2021-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
7. Turner-Cohen, Alex (2021-04-25). "Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Sandler among celebs slammed for supporting autism fundraiser". 7NEWS.com.au. Retrieved 2021-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
8. Beck Spectrum (April 26, 2021). "Accountability". Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
9. Pham, Elyse (2020-09-26). "'What does autism look like?' 20-year-old confronts stereotypes on TikTok". 7NEWS.com.au. Retrieved 2020-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
10. Zaman, Mirel (2021-03-31). "Can You Diagnose Yourself With ADHD? Yes, But Should You?". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
11. Thompson, Dillon (2020-03-13). "19-year-old's inspiring TikToks break down autism stereotypes". In The Know. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
12. Associated Press (2022-01-11). "The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
13. Mui, Christine (2020-08-05). "Where Are The Autistic Women in the Media?". Harvard Political Review. Retrieved 2020-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
14. Perry, Tod (2020-03-11). "Teenager creates eye-opening videos that shatter stereotypes surrounding autism and girls". Upworthy. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. @paigelayle (2020-12-02). "paige? a trend and not an autism video? ya idk! #fyp #HomeCooked #BackOnTrack". TikTok.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
16. @paigelayle. "paigelayle". Instagram. Retrieved 2021-09-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
17. "Young actors with autism respond to Sia's movie Music". CBC Kids News. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
18. Goldstein, Joelle (2020-03-11). "19-Year-Old Woman with Autism Goes Viral on TikTok: 'A Lot of People Don't Understand' Autism". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2020-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)