I caught this moment between my 6 year old autistic son and his brother, with their much loved cat. On most days my son has meltdowns, and I don't know why! He is sensory seeking, struggles with motor skills, hand flaps, has complexed food issues and can't express his feelings! Yet, on most days he shows his family how much he loves us and how much he cares, in his own way.

Thankfully for all the hard moments, we have beautiful moments like these.

I wouldn't change him for the world, but I would change the world for him.

Kieran at 22 years old graduating with a degree in classical music. Kieran was diagnosed at 3 years old with Asperger’s and I was told to expect the worst. Kieran is now a fully qualified clarinet tutor and has achieved so many things so far, his journey is just beginning.

My son is nonverbal with severe autism but hand in hand we will walk this journey together.

This was taken at a Christmas party in our church hall - it is a party for senior citizens, but Charlie, as soon as he heard the word party, asked our parish priest if he could go. Of course Monsignor Aldo said he could, and the committee who organise the event make sure that he wins a raffle prize every year. He loves the music and always gets up to dance.

Treat me equally and I will show you I can adapt.

Photograph by Pawel Kmiec 

My 12 year old son Tristan won a silver medal at the JKS World Karate Championships at the Glasgow Emirates Stadium in September 2016 then went on to take gold in the Scottish National Championships in October 2016. He has overcome so much to get there. Non-verbal at 4, we learned makaton to communicate with him then PECS. He learned how to play/socialise with friends. He learned coping strategies to deal with sensory issues in a variety of situations including team games, clubs, playground, and even international competition with the huge challenges that presents for Autism Spectrum Disorder children. He is a wonderful, caring and compassionate boy who shows great empathy for others, supporting team members and friends. He has also been nominated for Perth Disabled Sports Person of the Year. He has accomplished so many things to achieve what he has and will continue to do so.

After discrimination, prejudice, unfair treatment, lies and years of stalling by authorities, huge anxiety and many people telling me I couldn't possibly cope and should not do this, a new life begins against all the odds. A true miracle.

The prejudice is because society doesn't understand us, doesn't know how to deal with us, is scared of the label, and thinks autistic women have behavioural problems and could be a danger to the welfare of a child.

The prejudice is wrong. 

My Daughter is autistic and proud of it.

Because my daughter is autistic and proud of it she asks questions like:

Who are you to tell me I’m disabled?

Who are you to tell me the way I think is wrong?

Who are you to look down on me?

Who are you to leave me out and think I won’t notice?

Who are you to make decisions about autism without asking for an autistic opinion?

Who are you to label me ‘disordered’?

Who are you to tell me I’m ‘inspiring’ while pitying me?

Who are you to tell me what will make me happy?

Who are you to tell me to learn to be ‘normal’?

Who are you to tell me how to live?

Because my daughter is autistic and proud of it she asks questions other people don’t know to ask.

Catherine Simpson is a novelist and journalist. Her novel Truestory, published by Sandstone Press, is the story of a boy with Asperger Syndrome who refuses to leave the house. Truestory is told from his mother’s point of view. Catherine was inspired to write the novel after raising her own autistic daughter, Nina Mega (photographed), who is now a student at Edinburgh University.

To all of those people who think that those with autism cannot show love, I wish they could see the depth of love my wonderful son has for his family. He might struggle to express this verbally but he gives the best hugs and will always be there for his little sister (who has chronic liver disease). So take time to see past the diagnosis and get to know the person - you'll be very surprised! 

Lucia is our third child of four and a twin. She is a wonderful, little ball of energy who seldom sits still, has little attention span and loves the great outdoors. This, for me, is such a beautiful picture as it captured a moment of calm (a rarity!!). She picked two daisies (has to be two of everything!) and stared intently at them, saying 'wow' as she twirled them between her fingers alternately. She finds wonder in the simplest of things and I wish I could see the world through her eyes (unspoiled and full of possibility) just for a day. To be simply happy, must be a joy indeed. I am simply happy that this wee girl picked me for her mum. Days like this erase all the trying times and remind me to stop and smell the roses or, in Lucia's case, to look at the daisies. 

My words are different than yours,
Take my hand and I'll show you.
My story is action packed with waving arms,
A musical of every song I've heard.
An interpretive dance recital,
Silence around everybody but you.
I am speaking, are you are listening?

We wish people would see the smiles and love that our son has to give. He is full of cuddles and kisses. Holding his baby sister, feeling proud and protective. Lots of things that people think an autistic person can't be. He's the most caring person we know and we love him with all that we are.

Autiscapes

Bullied and broken
Cast aside
Manipulated
Pawns in a bigger game of chess
The rules are masked
Veiled and hidden
Implied not clear
Enigma unsolved as etiquette elusive evaporates within our finger tips

Remorse at unspoken errors and codes
Translation unavailable
Unknown debug error
Reboot to factory settings leaves rasping gulf of sadness within
Apology unwelcome
An idiot abroad

Mistakes made
Canyon gulfs vacuum connections
Self awareness implodes
Freak impossible

Eggshells cracking
Withdrawn
Cocoon
Hiding within
Retreat internal

Connection knocking
White noise, off kilter
Mistimed approach

Profess-I-am-in-awe,
General Patience in mire,
Psychia-tryst
Psycholoh-help-me!
Application Behave Analysis
Intervene

Diagonally Statistics Minefield IVoldemort or Vanish
I Classified Draining 10fold
Paper, reporting, researching
Exasperating, assesspit or mire
Drowning

Alone again
Autistic encompassing
Shrill silence confounds.

This is my son Noah. This photograph is unique as Noah is actually relaxed, stationary and looking directly at the camera with his eyes open.

Due to Noah's autism, getting a good portrait photograph of him is almost impossible.

On this occasion, we were in the engine room of an old ship and this seemed to both excite and calm Noah and allowed me to capture this perfect image without him trying to run off or grab the camera.

Myth I would like dispelled: People with autism cannot love.

I was once told by a professional that people with autism cannot love like we understand it. That their love will always be egocentric and once they receive no benefit from you they will cease to care.

In October I gave birth to my fourth son. My second oldest Sam is diagnosed with autism. Since I brought our youngest home (Benjamin), Sam has not only loved him unconditionally, but has shown his other brothers how to care for him. He bathes Ben, he feeds Ben, he plays and talks to Ben - and what is more amazing is whereas we are constantly reminding Sam to use his 'inside voice' at ALL other times, when he talks to Ben his tone and volume completely change. He understands the need to be gentle and sensitive to the baby, there isn't a day goes by he doesn't ask me how Ben is, even when he is at school.

If this doesn't show that individuals who are autistic can love unconditionally, nothing will. 

My autistic son struggled at Christmas time in the shopping centre, we got him ear defenders, what a difference, he walked independently, no meltdowns, always calm. Truly amazing. 

Hello. My name is Xena. I am a baby. My Mummy and Daddy are autistic. I don't know what autism is yet, but I know mummy's nose is tasty. They love me very much and though daily life is a challenge for them, I am so happy and healthy. Mummy and Daddy don't like groups, but I do. So sometimes I can go and play at bookbug. I heard something about a soft play area for my first birthday. Sounds like it'll be fun, noisy for mummy and daddy but I think I'll really like it!

This is my 9 year old son who has recently been diagnosed with autism, he isn't your average 9 year old, he doesn't do sport, conversation, or anything that involves talking or interacting with people. This photo was taken at a communion last year; it took him all day to pluck up the courage to stand in the line to get it done. Once he finally got it he was so excited to show it off just to be laughed at and asked what is it supposed to be? To him it did not matter, he just wanted to be like everyone else and all they did was laugh. What I would say to people about autism is never laugh at a child's achievements whether they have a disability or not, you never know how much courage it took to do something that is so difficult for them. My boy is called Josh.

This photo was taken as Freya played and is totally relaxed. I took several photos with her not knowing, it’s a good chance to catch her unaware. 

I may look normal but I'm far from it. I was 15 when I got told I had autism and it was the best thing ever, I had answers to why I was the way I was and now life has opened itself up to me. I am 20 now and I have only been going from strength to strength after I found out. Sometimes I do have set backs but I am determined not to let autism define me, it's part of me, yes, but doesn't define me!

This is Caleb. Caleb has Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Everyone looking at Caleb would say he looks just like your average 2 year old. The difference is, Caleb is very challenging. Caleb cannot communicate, Caleb cannot speak, Caleb gets very frustrated with not being able to communicate which can relate to him lashing out. Caleb has sensory issues.

This causes him to dislike being touched, play with toys a different way to ‘normal’, he also struggles to eat any food as he doesn't like the texture.

He struggles with social events as his little brain works differently. Caleb struggles with routine change. Caleb also struggles with eye contact. It's like Caleb is in his own little world. Life can be a guessing game at times trying to figure out Caleb’s wants and needs. His frustration has lead him to accidentally breaking my nose, breaking the iPad and mobile phone screens, hurting himself, throwing things and accidentally hurting someone and also reducing us to tears as we can't control him. The point being, Caleb to look at is your ordinary child but this is far from the truth. We love him unconditionally and he is the most fascinating little person I have ever come across.

My son Sean is 15 and non-verbal, he always wants to hold my hand … words are overrated. 

Autism (flying)

Flying, don't know where to go, don't know where to look. The birds are singing the children are playing and the world spins a twirl. As I fly I see what life is, a dangerous, filthy, disgusting, violent world but who am I? Where do I come from and what my name is? Well it starts with the letter 'A' and I decide whether that child is special or not.

So if you see a special in need, autistic and disabled child then for the love of god take extra care of any child and any disability that child might have, with special support from New Struan School and Scottish Autism. We thank you for all your support so the next time it’s another April remember to respect autism and everyone around you.

This picture shows my daughter during an emotional meltdown. It depicts her feeling down, alone and unable to control her emotions. Prior to this picture she had been screaming at me for about 15-20 minutes while walking to the bus stop because she didn't want to do it and, unlike you or I, she can't express herself the way we do. Episodes like this are a challenge for many parents of children with autism and bystanders find it difficult to understand what we are trying to cope with.

My brother is a tall, handsome man. When we’re out, sometimes people stare because of his posture or expression. It’s natural curiosity, but he sees it and is sensitive to it. I think he just wants to be treated like everyone else.

He has uncanny drumming talent, and niche knowledge of aircraft that could hold his own on Mastermind. He has a cracking sense of humour, and knows a pretty lady when he sees one.

He has become quieter since becoming a young adult, and gets frustrated easily. I have to look for subjects that motivate him to talk. Sometimes I imagine him speaking like my other siblings do: freely, making fun of me, saying what he feels, correcting me if I interpret him wrongly, heart to heart. Sometimes I see boys his age, larking about, doing what they want, and wish he was like them. Not for us, but for autonomy for him.

One of my fears is that his quality of life is lower, because he doesn’t articulate what he wants, or we assume he doesn’t mean what he says, or we don’t know how to make it happen. I want to focus on this more for him.

Euan loves to get his photo taken, he will often pose like this and take several shots to get it right. How his clothes and hair look is really important. Euan was going through a really tough time when this was taken, very distressed one minute, and then smiling like this the next.

The image is one of my prints, entitled ‘The Immanent Eschatology of Sun Wukong.’ Sun Wukong was the Monkey King in the tale ‘Journey to the West’ - he signifies, to me, self-realisation through the combination of intellect and adaptation. I have many qualifications (2 undergrad degrees, 2 post-grads, and a Masters of Law, among others). I have held professional management positions (I was also sponsored to study Management Finance at Harvard); and have many successes to my name (for example: I have worked with the European Commission; as a practising artist I have had my work shown (and later held) by the IPCNY in New York, and taken part in exhibitions in the UK, Europe and North America). However, if I mention my autism first, I never get to the interview stage for jobs. I am a person of many and varied abilities and skills, and when asked, I always say “having an Autism Spectrum Condition should not be seen as a hindrance to employability - I am an asset, not a liability."

Animals are my son's best friend in respect of positive affirmations while learning to cope in social situations. Building and sustaining peer friendships has been a historical challenge. Animals, however, hold no expectations, make no demands and are not derogatory like humans can be. The relationship is unique, a bond which is a joy to witness in this long lonely journey of acceptance, understanding and awareness.

I have brought my two sons Daniel and Matthew up by myself with little support other than that Scottish Autism has given me.

Matthew is 19, profoundly autistic and very challenging and he is non-verbal.

His brother Daniel, who is 21, is the best brother Matthew could have. He is supportive to me and helps me when Matthew comes home as Matthew can be quite aggressive and self-injurious due to frustration and inability to communicate. Daniel and Matthew love each other and Daniel has such a close bond with his little brother. He makes Matthew smile and cares for him. He is his protective sibling although Daniel's life has been full of challenges as a sibling of someone with autism. Daniel is now a student mental health nurse although is working towards going to medical school. Being a lifelong carer has given him a maturity that others his age lack. I adore both my sons and am very proud of them both. Matthew was at New Struan School and is now at New Ridgepark where the staff support him to have an independent life. We have moved to within half a mile of New Ridgepark so we can bring Matthew home as much as possible. We love him.

My adult son Peter enjoys driving our miniature electric locomotive, and is well accepted by folk at the railway club, as elsewhere. Endears himself to almost everyone he meets, and likes to be with people; also happy to go new places and try new things. He has quite a rich and varied lifestyle, through Scottish Autism and family. But cannot express feelings or opinions (depends entirely on how the question is asked!), so extremely difficult to know what he's thinking. His speech impediment, dyspraxia and learning difficulties are also challenging. Autism is far more diverse than most people realise, and this is just one snapshot of one individual.

This is a photograph of my beautiful daughters Gemma and Lisa. It was taken on the day of Lisa's College Graduation. It was an extremely proud day for my husband and I, firstly because we were there, watching Lisa as she experienced a graduation. And secondly that her sister Gemma was also able to share this experience and that she coped with all the hustle and bustle of the day.

I personally never imagined that I would see a day like this. It was a sad day, the day that Gemma was diagnosed as being on the Autistic Spectrum, and it was an even sadder day the day that Lisa was diagnosed as being on the Autistic Spectrum, just over a year after Gemma.

Who would guess looking at Lisa in this photograph that she has autism? Many people may think that there is something amiss with Gemma, but never Lisa, standing there looking so confident in her graduation gown.

Both Gemma and Lisa have had to overcome many obstacles to get to where they are now. I would like to think it has helped that we have never hidden their autism, but have encouraged them both to accept who they are and go out there and show everyone else who they are. They are young women with a future in front of them.

I like to sit on the wall, repeat in speech what I touch, see or hear.

Definitions of normality vary by person, time, place and situation.

Normal behaviours are often seen as good while abnormality is seen as bad.

I am only 4 years old and the past two years I have been stigmatised and excluded by society. Why? Because I have autism.

This is our daughter Cameron; she is one of seven in our family. We knew from when she was younger that she was different to her siblings, we fought to get her diagnosed and it took two attempts and then finally she was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. When you look at Cameron you wouldn't know that she has autism and that's the problem, that people don't realise it's a hidden disability. She loves musicals and her favourites are Grease and Mamma Mia, she knows every word. We are so proud of her. People need to know more about autism, especially in girls, and schools need to be taught more about it too.

This photo was taken at Burntisland and the tide had gone out. Fraser paddled out some way with dad and I close behind him. He was wearing a lovely white t-shirt with his shorts and before we knew it he began rolling around in the wet sand and dropping it over his head. We were mortified and could feel all the stares from other people on the beach. Thank goodness I had packed a change of clothes!! Fraser was 11 years old when this was taken. He is now 18 and still loves the beach! 

Dylan is 13 and we have ‘officially’ had autism in our family since he was diagnosed aged 7. At first it was a way for us to explain our ‘problems’ and what we saw as Dylan’s ‘differences’ to each other, to family members and to outsiders. Now, autism is so much more and has become a constantly evolving process which often, for us, goes against the rigid stereotypes it purports.

For us – autism has become a positive; a way to challenge both our own and others’ preconceptions. We wish people knew that autism:

• Isn’t only about the routines but the surprises. Of our son not wanting to swim in the lake for days and then appearing from the tent one morning and running down to the water.
• Is not only about meltdowns but make ups. Of all our children, Dylan is the one that will not sulk, or hold a grudge. He apologises, makes friends and moves on.
• Is not about the same days but new experiences. Of travelling around Europe, trekking through Scotland, camping in Canada. As long as some things stay the same, Dylan is open to new experiences. Although maybe not Niagara Falls…

We wish people knew that Dylan:

• Is often more sociable than the rest of his family. When we tired of his 15th game of Uno on the beach he approached a Croatian family and played with them for the rest of the afternoon.
• Is not Dustin Hoffman. Yes, he knows football stats and it’s all he is interested in but the same can be said for many 13 year olds…

We wish people knew that we don’t ever hope that one day Dylan will not have autism. It is part of who he is, who he was and who he will always be. 

This is my son, diagnosed with autism, with his 6 month old puppy that is in training to be his Assistance Dog. Not only will his dog help with the Absence Seizures he has but he also gives Intensive Interaction through play. Training also includes tracking my son as he likes to go walk about, Road Safety Awareness as he has no awareness of dangers and training in stranger danger.

My daughter is so full of love, people sometimes think she has no emotions and can't form bonds. In fact, I think she feels emotions much more deeply than I do, sometimes emotions just overwhelm her. The strength of bond between her and her little sister is very special. They both support each other and love each other unconditionally. I am so proud of them both.

1. Caleb sometimes just needs his own space.
2. To you it might be a mess but to Caleb it's much more.
3. I prefer to be out in the open than to go to crowded places.

This is me, I am different, but so are we all. Different hair, different skin, different accents, different nationalities, different religions. Well, I have a different brain. I see all the beauty in every detail of everything everyday. I want acceptance as much as the next person. It is OK to be different. Variety is the spice of life.

This is my son Martin, he is 13 and was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. I thought this image was poignant as it is him coming out of the darkness into the light. (He has always struggled with not knowing why he was how he was, to now having a diagnosis which helped him understand himself more). He was only diagnosed in October last year after battling to be assessed for just over a year. He is now more settled at school, he understands himself better and can now tell people when he needs time to himself to wind down. 

This is my 11 year old son Oden who was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was 9. His everyday life is having his earphones in either listening to music or watching something so it blocks out everything else around him.

This is my little girl. She has many obsessions when it comes to repeating things or she will just start to do something like this in the enclosed photograph... As you can see the floor was clear when she started. She got hold of a sweetie bouquet we were given at Christmas and this is how it started. She began adding things to it, anything she could get her hands on until she came to her completed work of art. I needed my boots so I put them on... This really distressed her; I promised I would put them back. We tried to tidy it up by taking a little piece away at a time but she became really upset and distressed and she would notice the tiniest difference. This is something that is really common with her. To us, it was just a mess but to her, it made sense. It was something very important to her.

You see all these professionally taken images all over social media with every adult or child polished, dressed to kill and representing the ideal family... well THIS is what every single group photo looks like in our household. Still all gorgeous though. 

My wife is the beautiful lady in the photograph. Her name is Laura and she spent years, into her late 20s in fact, seeing one occupational therapist after another for her social anxiety until finally she was referred to one who very quickly came to the same conclusion Laura herself had reckoned was the case… that her anxiety actually stemmed from her being autistic. She was assessed and suddenly felt a huge weight had been lifted. Her autism diagnosis was this fantastic answer to so much for her, an emotional day indeed. It’s not often my wife lets me take her photo but this is one of my favourite shots of her. I feel it portrays the sheer exhaustion she feels from the social anxiety her autism gives her. I feel it shows the impact it can have on her. But please do not think this is all her autism gives her because autism also makes up all her little quirks and the awesomeness she has to give as a person. My wife’s autism has moulded who she is... and she is just wonderful as she is. I'd never change her because I love my autistic wife to bits :)

Having mild Asperger’s Syndrome has made me incredibly driven, focused, and hardworking. I've had to work twice as hard as others to get where I am as a Digital Consultant and Fundraiser, and am proud to make a real difference to some truly amazing charities in Scotland.

I always strive to do things that challenge me, so last year - my thirtieth - I decided to do one thing every month that I was scared of. This is a selfie taken after my first ever organised race, the Edinburgh Marathon Relay. Despite being reasonably fit, I was concerned that it would be too overwhelming: the noise; all the people; the fact that it was simply 'new'. But I loved it, and am now pushing myself further by training for my first half marathon in May.

My message to other people with autism is don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Because you can, and you will.

My son is in mainstream school, the fact that he isn't coping seems to be irrelevant as he ‘behaves’ while he is there. Tracking report says ‘polite child, well behaved, well-mannered and helpful’, what they fail to acknowledge is that they try to make him fit the education box, rather than education fitting him. Explosive rages when he comes home, when the lid comes off the fizzy juice bottle they have shaken all day. My polite, considerate, well-mannered teenager at school becomes an unrecognisable ball of total rage creating havoc on anything in his way. A lashing out, punching, kicking six foot teenager who cannot process the school day.

Broken walls, and glass, and bruises are left as punches and kicks reign down on me, ‘if he was my husband I would divorce him’... I cannot divorce my son, I wouldn't choose to. I just wish the world could see the vulnerable young man he is when he comes home: fearful, confused, angry, anxious boy caused by their ignorance that, ‘he must be fine as he is fine in school’. In school he knows he has to behave, he won't say no, swear and throw a chair at you; he is drowning in a world he doesn't comprehend and the schools mismanagement of him is making him worse. 

If only they could see him through my eyes and get a glimpse of who he is when he comes home. Their well-mannered, polite, helpful pupil becomes my worst nightmare At 6 ft 2”, as he throws punches, I, along with the walls, become the broken, the bruised, with tear stained eyes, hiding what he does, because he is my boy, my son, my child. I wish they could see what I see behind closed doors.

A few years ago a young kid I knew who also has autism blew my mind when he told me:

'I don't understand the soul within a person, but I do understand the soul within music.'

I had never heard anything so true to my own experience of life...

For me, human emotions are very difficult to work out and explain... I can play them on the guitar no bother though.

Music is my mode of communication, it is how I interact with and interpret the world around me. If it wasn't for playing in bands, I would have no link to society at large.

Sometimes people ask me about my guitar solos, they want to know about scales, keys, time signatures etc… I have no traditional musical theory, instead I have chromesthesia, I have my own musical theory based on colour, far too complicated to explain here, suffice to say that it works and is unique to me.

I have tourette’s and echolalia, when I was younger these were more severe than they are now and were accompanied by a stammer and rhotacism. Learning to sing as good as stopped all my motor speech issues; it literally gave me a voice.

Recently somebody complimented me on my musical achievements, they said I had done amazing despite my autism; I corrected them because everything I have achieved has been so because of my autism.

This is my son Daniyal. He is 5 years old and has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Daniyal has never spoken a word in his life but he completes our lives. He is the most affectionate child. I believe God has given me the most beautiful child. I have full faith that my son will do something amazing in his life.

God will never give you more than you can handle. It's our Faith that gets us through the toughest of days. Verily, after hardship, comes ease.

I am NOT a person with autism. I'm autistic.

My autistic daughter has given her informed consent for this image to be used. She is competent to know her own mind, as are all children. My job is to connect, protect and teach her to be herself. Not to mould her in the image of ‘normal’.

Grieving Mother, there is no High or Low, that fallacy of the market, that divisive deliberation of exploitation made by a tax avoider and a socialite on the back of a glory hound, paid by the alchemists and torturers. There is no normal in the world of the growing mind, the mind that sees that social rules run on lies.

The mind will grow as it will, always better in the company of its own kind, but that kind willing to offer aid always, to a mother of its own. Any one of that kind can connect to a thousand years of the same mind, in a moment, online.

The division between you and I, the denial of the knowledge of kind, is a construct of commercial minds and meant to cost you, not be kind. The adults who would help online have been through every stage in time - at different speeds, it’s fair to say.

 “As your child is, we were.” We are able, and entitled, to bring to the table.

The voice of anger that you hear is a voice that’s been programmed by fear, and how can one survive?

Unless… One finds one’s anger, under duress?

The fear you hear, the frantic tone, is fear for a child all alone. Within its family.

That’s harsh.

But as your child is, once were we.

I find it hard when people are dressed up in costumes because it makes me feel very anxious as I don't know what they are going to do. Also, I find people who come off stage in the theatre difficult as it makes me anxious as I don't know what is going to happen and what they are going to do.