There are more than half a million people in the UK with autism, and if you include their families, autism touches the lives of over two million people every day. Despite this, autism is still relatively unknown and misunderstood.
And yet, parents of children with autism regularly say that a bit of extra support and understanding would make their lives a great deal easier.
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.
It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may need a lifetime of specialist support.
People with autism may also experience over or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.
Marie?s story
Marie Street is a working mum who lives in Surrey with her two teenage children. Her 17-year-old son, Nick, has autism. When Nick was diagnosed with autism at three-and-a-half years of age, it came as a shock to the family. Like many, Marie had heard of autism before but didn?t really know what it meant.
Nick attended a school for children with autism from the age of five until he was excluded at 13 due to challenging behaviour. Nick didn?t understand the rules and his only way of communicating was through his behaviour, usually negative. Marie once even had to sign for Nick to be taken into emergency respite care.
Social events and holidays, usually an exciting time for families, caused great difficulties for Nick. At Christmas for example, the gifts, bright lights and people coming and going used to prove too much and so friends and family stopped visiting and Marie had to stop visiting them.
On birthdays, Marie would spend hours trying to find the best present for Nick but on the morning, he would simply put the gift down and walk away. He didn?t understand that if you unwrap the gift that there would be something nice inside, which for Marie, was heartbreaking.
Seeking support
Marie and her family were finally able to seek help and support from organisations such as The National Autistic Society (NAS), the UK?s leading charity for people with autism and their families.
As Marie works for The Royal Bank of Scotland, the family found that they were eligible to receive support through a programme called ?Investing in Brighter Futures?.
The programme was set up by the NAS in partnership with the Bankers Benevolent Fund and offers people with autism and parents with children with autism, who work or have previously worked in the banking sector, access to NAS services.
As Marie explains ?I would strongly recommend that other parents in the banking industry apply to the Investing in Brighter Futures programme -? it can give you access to a whole range of services and support which you never know when you might need to call upon.?
The Future
Nick is now much happier in a new residential school and is making tremendous progress. Marie feels that Nick is loved and accepted for who he is, and he will now give his mum a cuddle, which for Marie, is always special and a reminder of just how far they have come.
She is looking forward to their future and concludes ?Nick has taught me what really is important in life and that all people are very different but equally all have something to bring to the world.?
More information
If you or your child has autism and you work, or have worked, in the UK banking sector then you can apply for a package of services and support, funded by the Bankers Benevolent Fund, specifically designed to meet your individual needs. In addition, every applicant will receive life membership of the NAS.
For more information, or to see whether you could be eligible for support through the programme, please visit www.autism.org.uk/bbf or call 020 7903 3587.
You can watch a short film about the Investing in Brighter Futures programme, which features Marie, at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6y7DZv–HQ (shown below).
If you would like more general information on autism or help and support, you can visit: www.autism.org.uk or call the NAS Helpline on 0845 070 4004. The Helpline is open Monday ? Friday, 10am-4pm (local charges apply).
