Children at Lindfield Primary Academy are aiming to raise awareness of autism in the village with a new poster campaign. The campaign aims to educate shoppers and help them understand, and support, autistic children and their families.
Ali Bourne, mum of three, including autistic son Harry, explained how the campaign began: “Celebrating uniqueness is at the heart of what we do at the academy,” she said. “As part of our school values we a have a ‘Unique Octo’ character that is used across the academy to celebrate diversity. “It helps us all to recognise that everyone is different with unique and special gifts.” This school value character was created by pupil Etty Billson, during the school’s Autism Awareness Week in 2019. “This year, to mark the annual national event, the Assistant Principal for Inclusion, Jane Robinson, consulted parents of children in the academy whose children have an autism diagnosis,” added Ali.
One parent commented: “The children and adults at the academy understand my child and I feel very supported in the school community, however, I sometimes feel people outside the academy do not understand so well. It would be great if our children could teach the rest of Lindfield’s wider community.”
With this in mind, children were invited to design posters about being ‘Autism Aware,’ that could be displayed in shops in the village High Street. “There were so many wonderful contributions and designs, but the winning posters were designed by Ernie Moir (KS1) and Ruby Fuller (KS2),” said Ali. “It’s great for all of us to remember these key ways to help… giving people time to think and respond to questions, supporting those who find change hard and those who find new places and faces worrying,” said Ali. “Some the poster designs help the reader to imagine how children or adults with autism might feel during their experience out shopping if they have sensory overload.”
Ali explained why shopping with an autistic child can be difficult. “There’s a certain etiquette in shops which autistic children can’t understand,” she said. “Going into a shop is a huge sensory experience, but bright lights, music and different smells can all affect an autistic child. When they feel overwhelmed, they can either get over excited or simply shut down. “An autistic child’s attention to detail and what they notice is very different to want we experience,” added Ali. “For example, we would hardly notice a flashing light, but for an autistic child it can be very unsettling. A busy High Street also brings its challenges. Noisy traffic, sirens, potent smells, dogs barking and groups of people, things we would hardly notice, can all affect an autistic child.
“When you are next out shopping on the High Street, do keep your eyes open for the lovely poster designs in the shop windows. Let’s be a community that celebrates and supports uniqueness in all that we do. Small things really do make a big difference!”