My Story

Seeing my little sister and brother in law go through the not only emotional struggles of raising a child with Autism but also all the issues relating to support, schooling etc has made me want to do something to help.

Everyone is of course different... but I asked my sister about her experience and here's what she had to say;

"As a parent of an autistic child, many days/nights are spent googling answers to what I should do... Am I doing the right thing for my child? How to I deal with certain behaviours etc. The National Autistic Society often comes up when I’m in a Google rabbit hole of trying to find answers to my many questions and worries 

The National Autistic society also produce some great videos which demonstrate some of the struggles people on the spectrum may face day to day. The first video I watched was called “Can you make it to the end" about a child on the spectrum experiencing distressing sensory overload during a simple shopping trip. This made me feel very emotional as it helped me to understand the struggles of a person with autism. 

A simple shopping trip is something us neuro typical people completely take for granted. It really hit home and made me realise how much my little girl has to deal with when completing a typical activity like shopping. The video also shows a woman giving disapproving looks, assuming the child is being naughty, when actually this boy is experiencing a distressing sensory overload, like so many kids other kids do. 

As a mother, this is part of day to day life, dealing with disapproving looks and assuming my daughter is naughty. So many people have little to no understanding of autism and the media often portrays them as socially awkward people who are really clever - This is the main stereotype people on the spectrum have to face.

Once you learn about the autistic spectrum, it makes you realise how amazing these children and adults are.

Those on the spectrum have difficulties in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviours. This means reading body language, facial expressions, jokes or sarcasm are things a person with autism will find challenging. Some may not learn spoken language and therefore have to learn new ways to make their needs known. Some like to follow certain routines to feel calm in a world of uncertainty and a simple thing like a road closure or a supply teacher at school can cause emotional distress.

I can try and learn as much as I can, but I will never fully understand what it’s like to have autism, this is something that only those who are on the spectrum themselves will truly understand. 

As a parent of a child with autism, I have a new found appreciation for these amazing people. I just think that children on the spectrum like my daughter, have to go through day to day life just like their peers, growing up and learning but on top of all this they are also surrounded by so many physical and emotional challenges that they have to battle, alongside discrimination and lack of understanding of the condition. 

I feel the more we talk about autism the better understanding people will have of this condition. Lack of understanding of autism can cause discrimination, reduced opportunities, social isolation and anxieties. If we can change the attitudes people have towards autism and build up peoples knowledge this will help to build a better future for these amazing people and the many challenges they face."

Thank you to my amazing sister, Ellie for sharing the above. 

If you can spare even the smallest amount I will be forever grateful. Grant. X