Over 40 MPs, Councillors and key decision makers take part in national autism awareness campaign

Published by Nia for Tree House in Communities and also in Education, Local Government

Over 40 MPs, Councillors and key decision makers across England took part in an autism awareness campaign last week. The campaign, called Walk In Our Shoes, gave key decision makers the opportunity to spend time with families affected by autism in their homes and in their communities.

They saw first hand the challenges these families face but also the significant contribution that children and young people with autism can make when they have access to appropriate education and support.

This event was being organised by TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education.

The aim of Walk In Their Shoes was to promote a greater awareness and understanding of autism, which affects 1 in 100 school aged children in the UK.

Linda Redford, Director of Education, Policy and Education at TreeHouse, said: Walk In Our Shoes aims to promote a greater awareness and understanding of autism amongst policymakers and the public, as autism now affects 1 in 100 school aged children in the UK. It’s fantastic that so many MPs and Councillors got involved. As the national charity for autism education, TreeHouse hopes that events like this will pave the way towards all children and young people with autism getting the education they need and their families receiving the support they deserve.

Gayna Simmonds, a parent who took part in the event, said: “Walk In Our Shoes is all about raising awareness about autism and letting people know what it’s like for families affected by the condition. Everyday things like going to the supermarket, taking your kids to the park, walking to school, can be huge challenges as autism affects pretty much every aspect of the way a child interacts with the world. It can often be a battle just to get your child the support they need – at school and in the community. People don’t understand autism and that’s at the heart of the problem. So the Walk In Our Shoes event was all about involving MPs and Councillors and raising awareness so that we can work together towards change in our schools and our communities.”