Beloved Love on the Spectrum TV star Michael Theo is the face of a new dating app for neurodiverse people and hopes it will help his quest for true love.
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The 30-year-old Wollongong man starred in the ABC reality dating show Love on the Spectrum which followed a group of young adults on the autism spectrum.
Melbourne woman Holly Fowler was inspired by his quest on the TV show and created an app for the neurodivergent community.
Wable is an Australian app for neurodiverse adults to make friends and date.
"The app name comes from the words 'willing and able'," the CEO of Wable, Miss Fowler said.
"Neurodivergent people are willing and able to have meaningful relationships, make friends, and fall in love."
What makes the app different to other dating apps?
The app includes a wellness toolbox with psychological resources on what to expect on a first date, safety tips, handling rejection, and creating a good profile.
A chat wheel within the app also allows people to spin the wheel for conversation starters.
Miss Fowler hopes to expand the app to include a list of safe and sensory-friendly spaces for people to meet and a job board for positions in inclusive workplaces.
'World catered for needs of neurotypical people'
Mr Theo believes the app will open many doors to neurodiverse people but also concedes it's "still early days".
The ambassador and app-user compares Wable to a "Facebook for people on the autism spectrum" where people can comfortably socialise and connect.
"For so many years, the world has catered to the needs of neurotypical people to the point where it has neglected the needs of neurodiverse people," Mr Theo said.
"And therefore, for a long time, the world of neurodiverse people hasn't really had a platform to connect, mingle, or chat with people."
The actor and podcaster is working to dispel misconceptions that neurodiverse people "need to be taken care of".
"Some people are more autistic than others, but some are actually high functioning like I am.
"We don't really need to be taken care of physically because we want to be independent, live our own lives, and be loved by others just as much as neurotypicals do."
Marlene Even
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
