Television personality Holly Madison has been transparent about her autism diagnosis. Madison, who was diagnosed as an adult just two years ago, will be returning as the event ambassador for the Grant a Gift Gala in Las Vegas later this month.
She recently sat down with The Blast exclusively to chat about the upcoming gala, how her diagnosis has changed her life, and what she loves most about being a Las Vegas resident.
Holly Madison Shares How Being Diagnosed With Autism Changed How She Understands Herself
Getting diagnosed as an adult has helped Madison understand things about herself that she questioned for years.
“It helps me understand my social interactions with people because sometimes I was acting a bit differently and not really aware of it, and it was causing problems for me,” she told The Blast exclusively. “So it really helped me regauge my social skills and my interactions from a ground level, and it’s been so incredibly helpful to me.”
She also shared that getting that diagnosis was a “huge relief” for her.
“I think I understand myself so much better. Before, I knew I wasn’t great socially, but I didn’t really know why,” she added. “And I think sometimes, or at least this is the way it works for me, until you know why, sometimes it’s hard to fix an issue or improve or adapt the way you want to.”
Holly Madison Will Be The Ambassador For The Grant A Gift Gala Again This Year
Shortly after receiving her diagnosis, she signed on to be the ambassador for the annual Grant a Gift Gala in Las Vegas last year. She’s returning again this year because she said she just “believes so much” in what the foundation is doing for the community.
“They’re doing so much for the community, so much for families and autistic children. And you know, I love Las Vegas as a community. I love being involved,” she said. “Last year, the gala was so much fun. They raised a bunch of money and I was so happy to be helpful with that. I’m here as long as they need me, as long as they want me. I just love them so much.”
Madison said that she especially loved helping out with the auction last year. She got the chance to walk around with the items being auctioned so people could see it up close. Her favorite auctioned item? A puppy named Indigo.
“I got to walk around with the puppy, and he found a good home. That was so much fun,” she said. “They ended up raising $40,000 for the puppy.”
Holly Madison Is Excited For This Year’s Gala
Madison said she’s looking forward to another great event this year. The Grant a Gift Gala will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22 at Allegiant Stadium. The theme for this year’s gala is “Patterns and Prints.”
Madison said she’s excited to meet everyone and help with the auction again this year.
“I really enjoy it. It’s also fun because it’s at Allegiant Stadium, so you get to be down on the football field and that’s a fun feeling,” she said. “And just knowing we’re helping with such a great cause.”
She added that she hopes everybody who attends walks away with a “feeling of love and happiness.”
“The feeling you get when you’re helping other people and being a part of the community and understanding what some families are dealing with because you know so many people on the spectrum struggle so much more than I do,” she said. “It really is such a large spectrum and there’s people out there who need help in a community, and I think it’s so great that Grant a Gift is helping to provide that.”
Clearing Up Misconceptions About Autism
After getting her diagnosis, Madison realized there were some major misconceptions that she would like to help clear up.
“That autism looks one way. It’s an extremely broad spectrum, and you can have people like me out in the world doing things and you might not guess I’m on the spectrum, and you can have people who are more severely impacted by it and need a lot of assistance in their day-to-day lives,” she told The Blast. “So I think it’s important that you know there’s a lot of people out there who are really struggling with it.”
One thing that can pose a problem is a lack of resources, or hidden resources, depending on the community. Sometimes people just don’t know where to look for help, and this is why foundations such as Grant a Gift are so important for the community.
“That’s one of the things Grant a Gift is so great with. They provide so many resources and if people are in the Southern Nevada area, they can to grantagift.com to see everything they do,” she shared. “Because there is confusion, and a lot of people, even doctors, don’t know where to go or where to start.”
For Madison, someone who’s had a very public career for many decades, her autism diagnosis has helped changed the way she approaches work and relationships.
“I definitely pace myself. I definitely give myself space. I go on my own schedule and try to remember to communicate with people in a way that’s more socially acceptable and normal to everybody,” she told The Blast. “And if all else fails, I just tell people I’m on the spectrum and don’t be offended if something came off wrong.”
Holly Madison’s Favorite Vegas Things To Do
Madison, a Vegas resident, loves that Sin City “feels like a small town and a big city all at once.” She also loves that there’s a “strong sense of community” here as well as so much fun to enjoy close by.
When asked about some of her favorite things to do, she said she loves going out for a nice dinner and Carbone Riviera tops her list. If she’s spending the day enjoying the city with her kids, she loves to head over to the Bellagio Conservatory and have brunch there, as well as visit The Silverton to watch the mermaids swim around.
And while many locals steer clear of the Las Vegas Strip, Madison admitted she’s there all the time.
“I love to try all the new things,” she said, as she explained she was taking her kids to the new Hello Kitty Cafe at Caesars. “I don’t shy away from anything that’s too touristy.”
When she’s not enjoying all that Vegas has to offer, she’s staying booked and busy.
“I am working on developing more true crime shows. I have two on ID that are on HBO right now, ‘Lethally Blonde’ and ‘The Playboy Murders,’” she said. “I am also doing my podcast, ‘Girls Next Level,’ and have my new podcast, ‘You Wish.’ Those are on YouTube and anywhere you get your podcasts. So that’s what I am pretty busy with right now.”
For more information on Grant a Gift, visit the website.
