Paige Layle

Paige Hennekam (born August 2, 2000), who goes by the online alias Paige Layle, is a Canadian autism and ADHD acceptance activist, YouTuber and TikToker. First diagnosed with autism as a teenager, she began on TikTok in March 2020, and has since gained a large following on both platforms as well as Instagram.

Paige Layle
Born
Paige Hennekam

(2000-08-02) August 2, 2000
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Years active2015–present
Known forAutism 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 2.6 million followers on TikTok.[10] She also has over 131,000 followers on Instagram.[11]

Other

In 2022, Hennekam was a performer for the audiobook version 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 an eyelash technician.[17][18]

References
  1. Tucker, Olivia (January 20, 2021). "TikTok Creators Like Paige Layle Are Redefining Narratives About Autism". Teen Vogue. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. Favaro, Avis; Neustaeter, Brooklyn; St. Phillip, Elizabeth (June 25, 2020). "Canadian teen shatters autism stereotypes with candid videos on TikTok". CTV News. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  3. Bode, Lucy (September 18, 2020). "This Woman Is Using TikTok To Educate Her Followers About Living With Autism". Women's Health. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. Emanuel, Daniella (March 10, 2020). "A Girl On TikTok With Autism Is Going Viral For Talking About How Autism Is Different In Women". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  5. Moore, Andria (November 24, 2020). "Paige Layle, An Autistic TikToker, Weighed In On The Sia/Maddie Ziegler Movie Drama". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  6. Holcomb, Rebecca (April 24, 2021). "TikTok Star Page Layle Plans Livestream Fundraiser For ASAN To Protest Jimmy Kimmel's NEXT For Autism Fundraiser". TheThings. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  7. Turner-Cohen, Alex (April 25, 2021). "Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Sandler among celebs slammed for supporting autism fundraiser". 7NEWS.com.au. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  8. Beck Spectrum (April 26, 2021). "Accountability". Instagram.
  9. Pham, Elyse (September 26, 2020). "'What does autism look like?' 20-year-old confronts stereotypes on TikTok". 7NEWS.com.au. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  10. Adams, Josie (2021-09-17). "Normal feelings, or ADHD, ASD or PTSD? Social media is here to diagnose you". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  11. Thompson, Dillon (March 13, 2020). "19-year-old's inspiring TikToks break down autism stereotypes". In The Know. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  12. "The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com". ABC News. Associated Press. January 11, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  13. Mui, Christine (August 5, 2020). "Where Are The Autistic Women in the Media?". Harvard Political Review. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  14. Perry, Tod (March 11, 2020). "Teenager creates eye-opening videos that shatter stereotypes surrounding autism and girls". Upworthy. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  15. @paigelayle (2020-12-02). "paige? a trend and not an autism video? ya idk! #fyp #HomeCooked #BackOnTrack". TikTok.
  16. @paigelayle. "paigelayle". Instagram. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  17. "Young actors with autism respond to Sia's movie Music". CBC Kids News. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  18. Goldstein, Joelle (March 11, 2020). "19-Year-Old Woman with Autism Goes Viral on TikTok: 'A Lot of People Don't Understand' Autism". People. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
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