AS MORE than one in 100 people are autistic, many autistic people live in Abingdon.

But they’re not getting the understanding they need.

Only 16 per cent of autistic people feel the public understands them.

In particular, 77 per cent say that people don’t understand that autistic people can need more time to process questions or instructions.

This can make simple things like going to the shops or using public transport extra daunting.

I have Asperger and so does my 19-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.

Some people think me and my daughter are rude as we can’t look at them when talking and we struggle to make new friends.

We can’t cope well when things suddenly get changed. People think my son is just a naughty boy and they look at me like I’m a bad mother.

But if they could just see a snippet of my day-to-day life they might have some empathy.

I hate getting nudged and pushed when out shopping and my personal space is being invaded.

So I can come across rude. But maybe if they understood autism they might think twice as autism isn’t always a visible disability.

They might give me some understanding on how hard it is to parent an autistic son and make more allowances instead of whispering and judging.

Encouragingly, recent research from The National Autistic Society found that 80 per cent of the general public would be happy to change their behaviour to give autistic people more time to process information, if only they knew they needed it.

Giving people more time, using clear language and being more patient can make the world of difference to the lives of many autistic people.

So I’m asking people in Abingdon to join me as part of The National Autistic Society’s Too Much Information campaign to make these small changes to make our community more autism-friendly.

Anyone who wants to learn more can find out more top tips for autismfriendly behaviour at www.autism.org. uk/tmi.

KERRY SCOTCHER

Chaunterell Way, Abingdon