Shining a Light on Autism Awareness Week by Steve Travis

In a bustling world, it's all too easy to overlook the unique challenges others may face. As we come to the end of Autism Awareness Week, it serves as a poignant reminder to pause, reflect, and extend our understanding towards those navigating life in a non-neurotypical way.  

Having watched my eldest son struggle in a world that doesn’t understand him or the way he see’s things I am continually reminded that in order to really understand people we need to Join them in the world they see, as opposed to expecting them to view everything as we do. We created a Daddy said – Daddy meant book when he was little to help us both understand how he would interpret things I would say.  This gave me an insight into his world and helped me to think about how I should best communicate with him in a way that didn’t confuse him.  I was seeking to understand his world. 

I spoke with our in-house clinical team Sarah Stringfellow and Liam Barrett Hawkins about their experience, approach and understanding of the children in our care on the autistic spectrum.

Sarah, the clinical lead at Stepping Stones Care, aptly encapsulates the significance of this week, remarking, “I think it's important to have weeks like autism awareness week because I guess we can go through life not really stopping and thinking about the challenges that other people are facing.” Her words echo a universal truth: awareness breeds empathy, and empathy fosters a more inclusive society.

At Stepping Stones Care, our ethos revolves around understanding young people, regardless of diagnosis. As Sarah emphasises, “Our focus is to understand our young people, irrespective of whether they have a diagnosis or not. And a key part of this is understanding how they experience themselves, other people, and the world around them.” This holistic approach underscores the importance of acknowledging each individual's unique journey and perspective.

Liam Barrett-Hawkins, the counselling therapist at Stepping Stones Care, sheds light on the transformative power of play therapy in his work with children on the autism spectrum. “There's been a lot of play therapy when I've been working with children with autism, and what can come out of that, I found has been quite incredible,” Liam shares. “I'm seeing that they're feeling so accepted and naturally they just become a lot calmer and existential with what's going on for them in the moment, and it's a beautiful thing that can come out of that.”

Through play therapy, children with autism find a safe space to explore their emotions and experiences, fostering a sense of acceptance and self-awareness. Liam adds, “They finally feel accepted and they're actually finally starting to become aware of what's going on for them because they've never quite been able to do that because maybe they've not had the appropriate relationships.”

As Autism Awareness Week unfolds, let us heed the insights shared by Sarah and Liam. Let us strive for a world where understanding, acceptance, and support are readily extended to all individuals, regardless of neurodiversity.