Life

Leona O'Neill speaks to a mum of four boys with autism

Prompted by her own experiences as the mother of four boys on the autism spectrum, Antrim teacher Kelly Milligan and her colleagues are organising events during Autism Awareness Week to support families and highlight the challenges they face, writes Leona O’Neill

Knowing what causes challenging behaviour can help people to develop ways of dealing with it
Knowing what causes challenging behaviour can help people to develop ways of dealing with it Knowing what causes challenging behaviour can help people to develop ways of dealing with it

AUTISM Awareness Week will run next Monday to Friday, April 3 to 7, and one Carrickfergus mother is organising a whole host of events in her school to promote autism support services in her area.

Forty-four-year-old Kelly Milligan's three sons are on the autism spectrum. Inspired by her own experiences, she and her fellow teachers at her Antrim school set about creating a range of events to support other parents and make people aware of the challenges faced by those with the condition and the people who love and care for them.

Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them. There is no known cure.

Socialising and communicating can be challenging for many autistic people. Many really do want to make friends and form relationships but find it hard. There may be difficulty reading social cues and knowing when to speak or listen, and facial expressions can be impossible to read, resulting in social isolation.

People with autism or Asperger syndrome may appear to behave unusually. This can be an attempt to communicate, or a way of coping with a particular situation. Knowing what causes challenging behaviour can help people to develop ways of dealing with it.

The event at Antrim's Greystone Primary School was organised by the group A4 Autism – which was set up by staff at the school and whose motto is Autism Awareness, Acceptance and Action. Kelly says their aim is is not only to raise awareness and acceptance in the local community but also to provide a platform where the growing number of families affected by autism may seek help, support one another and share experiences and a journey together.

“A4Autism Week is a simple idea that was inspired by my personal and professional experiences,” Kelly told me. “As a mother, I have travelled the cumbersome route to diagnoses and learned that afterwards, awareness of services is often only discovered through word of mouth, particularly through other parents in support groups.

"As a teacher, I have witnessed an increase in the number of children on the spectrum who are educated in large, underfunded, mainstream classes and the frustration where parents must 'jump through hoops' to access appropriate help for their children regardless of the promises made in the Autism Act (NI) 2011.

“As a school, we wanted to highlight autism awareness across our community during the month of April, to inform teaching/non-teaching staff and also recognise the importance of intervention, not to 'cure autism' but rather to allow parents and carers to choose the supports that best suit them and to celebrate the autism community.

“Each day of the week, we will be targeting a different audience in our school – pupils, PTA, staff and carers. A high point of the week will be a community exhibition of service providers on Thursday April 6 from 6pm at Greystone Primary School, Antrim.”

Through funding received from Empower and the Big Lottery, A4Autism Week has been organised with the support of Greystone Primary School Principal Arlene Graham, Paul Hayes SENco, Caroline Hesketh and the committee of Antrim Autism NI Support Group.

April will be a time to teach others about autism, celebrate our friends and family with the condition and make a real difference in the lives of families who love and care for those with autism.

Autism is a unique disorder, one with extraordinary facets that often reveal themselves as gifts as well as challenges. A4 Autism will celebrate that uniqueness and also the hope that comes from finding families and community on the same journey.

For further details on the event and Austism Awareness Week in Antrim, check out the groups Facebook page on www.facebook.com/A4AutismANTRIM/