Please help promote our Autism Awareness Day on the 16th March, at Uplands School, Swindon, please read the message below from someone I used to work with in Gloucestershire, it really shows the need to ensure we help take action.
Hello Tim
Just wanted to say a quick than you for sharing the Autism posts. I don’t know if you know but my son has Autism. He is only 11 years old but people will tut at him, point at him and loudly remark about his behaviour when he isn’t coping in busy/noisy places. He will be trying his hardest to cope in a world that is consuming all his senses and completely overwelming him and then has to put up with being told he is badly behaved or a freak, or have people point and laugh. I am often told I need to have more control or be more strict. I was once told he was a rude and nasty child! In fact out of all my children he is by far the most sensitive and loving. He has high functioning Autism so is aware that he is different and really tries to not to stand out, it makes him so sad when people say things to him. If they were just to ask why he acts the way he does sometimes he can very eloquently describe how some things make him feel and what he needs to do in order to cope. For his own sanity I do try not to take him grocery shopping with me but I will NEVER hide him away incase he causes a scene. Autism thankfully, is now widely recognised and known about so why do people still react so negatively towards a little boy who only wants to enjoy this world with everyone else, I expect if the same people saw a child suffering in some other way they would want to help! So thank you for spreading the word that children/people, like my little boy, are NOT scary or naughty, they just have a few more challenges than the rest of us in a world designed to restrict and strip away all individuality when maybe they are closer to true freedom than we could ever be (jealously can make people very cruel). It is only our society that causes the problems.
Right sorry to ramble, hope you are well, you are looking GREAT!
Love Lizzie xx
There are far more people with autism than we are aware of, to me this is a really important workshop for anyone – we could be interacting with anyone with autism at any time. For us all to be aware will help people with autism to be more included in our community generally, rather than having to experience attitudes like Lizzie’s son.
Please publicise this workshop to your friends and neighbours, shop workers, hair dressers, bus drivers, restaurant waiters and waitresses – anyone!
I am looking forward to the workshop, I need to know more. Autistic spectrum disorder covers a wide range of disabilities and people can cope if this fact alone is known.
Thanks for sharing this with us, I sometimes see children or young adults in the supermarket or in the street, who perhaps are autistic and speaking loudly or acting differently, thanks to my role as a school governor I do have a limited understanding and I don’t get anxious about it. We need to let people grow their understanding of autism so it’s not so different!