Autism and Us

On this episode Maisie is joined by Giuliana Wheater who talks about her son Ollie. Giuliana is a multi-award winning complementary therapist, Indian head massage specialist, author, teacher, trainer, public speaker, fundraiser, story massage instructor and special yoga practitioner. She is also the founder of Rainbow Kids Touch Therapy and Relaxation which has been recognised as a Learning Destination by the Children’s University. This episode is so moving - it's about love and hope. Please check out Giuliana's website: Giuliana Wheater - Therapies for special needs

This week Maisie talks to Jordan about her son Jackson who has a diagnosis of autism. Jordan is the managing director of a top London PR agency, LMPR. She talks about growing up in London, working in the media and her journey into motherhood.

In this special episode of Autism and Us we hear some lockdown stories from parents during this unprecedented time.

This week Maisie talks to Kate Wilde. Kate is the Director of The Son-Rise Program and has worked at The Autism Treatment Center of America for over 20 years. She has spent her whole life working with children on the autism spectrum and their families. Kate has worked one-on-one with well over a 1,500 different children of different diagnoses and more than 10,000 hours working one-on-one with children and adults, helping thousands of families from all over the world help their children with autism. She is a senior teacher and lecturer at the Autism Treatment Center of America helping families individually and in groups run home based, parent directed Son-Rise Programs with their children. Kate talks to Maisie about her life before the program and how she came to realise that working with autistic people was her calling.

Today Maisie is joined by Lucy. Maisie and Lucy met through the charity Ambitious About Autism who are partners of this podcast. Lucy talks about her son Oscar, who is severely autistic and most recently was diagnosed with epilepsy. We hear about the early years of Oscar's development, ABA therapy, Treehouse school, Lucy's other children and her plans for Oscar's future. This episode personally resonates with Maisie as Charlie and Oscar present very similarly to each other and since recording, Lucy and Maisie have become firm friends. Here's some information about Ambitious About Autism: Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. They provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and campaign for change. Through TreeHouse School, The Rise School and Ambitious College they offer specialist education and support. Their ambition is to make the ordinary possible for more children and young people with autism. Please visit their website for more info here: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/

We begin Season 3 with a very exciting guest. Maisie is joined by the British actress Kacey Ainsworth. Kacey is well known for her roles in Holby Blue, Grantchester and EastEnders in which she played the iconic character of Little Mo. Most recently Kacey received critical acclaim for her role as Mrs Lovett in the stage production of Sweeny Todd. Kacey talks to Maisie about her son Elwood, who has a diagnosis of autism and dyspraxia. Kacey also touches upon her husbands subsequent diagnosis of autism. Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet orshare our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for TwitterAre you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for FacebookAmbitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

Maisie talks to a lovely mother from South London called Anna. Maisie met Anna when they both attended the EarlyBird workshop which is run by the National Autistic Society. Anna talks to Maisie about her four year old son Ethan and his recent diagnosis of autism. Useful Links: 1) National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk 2) EarlyBird: https://www.autism.org.uk/earlybird 3) The London Children's Practise: http://www.londonchildrenspractice.co.uk 4) Engaging Autism - Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think (Merloyd Lawrence Book): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0738210943/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3qiQBbDJXMPC2

In this week's episode, and the last in this series, Maisie is joined by Angie. Maisie found Angie’s Instragram account when searching for autism related pages. Angie posts funny, heartwarming and honest pictures and videos of her now 16 year old son Ainsworth, who she affectionately calls Pootie and has a diagnosis of autism. Her Instagram page is loved by many thousands of people around the world and with over 10K followers she is spreading autism awareness and positivity with every post. Useful Links: 1) Please follow Angie’s Instagram: @geegetaylor 2) Ambitious About Autism: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/ Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

In today’s episode Maisie is joined by her friend Finn. They discuss raising Rob, Finn's son, who has a diagnosis of autism. Finn has struggled through the years in getting the help Rob rightfully deserves when it comes to education. Individuals who are seen as 'high functioning' often need a very high level support in many different areas - 'high functioning' autism does not mean easy autism, far from it. Useful Links: 1) Parent's Rights: https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Parent-Rights-Eng-2012.pdf 2) Ambitious About Autism: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/ Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

In this episode Maisie is joined by writer, actor, comedian and all round amazing guy, Shaun Pye. Shaun writes for many successful TV comedy panel shows, co-wrote the cult tv sitcom 'Monkey Dust', had a regular role in Extras and recently created and wrote the amazingly moving and realistic comedy drama 'There She Goes' on BBC 4. If you haven’t seen it, you can watch it via the link below. Useful Links: 1) Shaun Pye: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0701445/ 2) There She Goes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bp2zq4 Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

In this episode, Maisie talks to her friend Coralie about her son Michael who has a diagnosis of autism. Useful Links: 1) EHCP plan: https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs/extra-SEN-help 2) Lewisham Colleage Supported Learning Services: https://www.lscollege.ac.uk/courses/supported-learning Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

In this episode, I talk to Sarah Hilary about her son and his diagnosis of autism. Sarah is a UK crime novelist and former bookseller. Her debut, 'Someone Else's Skin', won the 2015 Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 'Someone Else's Skin' is the first book of the 'Marnie Rome' series with a further four books published. The fifth in the series, 'Never Be Broken' is out later this year. Useful Links: 1) Sarah Hilary: https://twitter.com/sarah_hilary 2) Banardos Cygnet Services: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/cygnet.htm Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

In this episode I talk to my amazing friend Claire. Claire tells me the story of bringing up her daughter Ariella. Like my son Charlie, Ariella has severe autism and we both openly discuss the difficulties this brings as well as the joy and laughter they bring to our everyday. Useful Links: 1) ABA Therapy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis 2) Ambitious About Autism: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/ Right From The Start Project - Parent And Carer Survey The online version can be completed and submitted online: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/familyresearch/supportearlyyears/study/ Sharing The Survey We would be grateful if you could join our efforts and spread the word about our survey via your social media channels and networks to reach parents and carers of children with autism. Below we have provided some suggested social media wording to help you do this and feel free to add your own flare to it. Or if you'd prefer, simply retweet or share our posts from our social media pages. Suggested Post for Twitter Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 0-6 with #autism? Please help @AmbitiousAutism gather evidence for their #RightfromtheStart Project by completing this short #survey about your experiences https://bit.ly/2Cdt01q @warwickuni #pleaseshare Suggested Post for Facebook Ambitious about Autism are working with the University of Warwick to research the needs and issues faced by parents/carers of children aged 0-6 with autism to inform a project which will help families receive the right support, Right from the Start. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

Welcome back to Series 2! In the first episode of the series I am talking to my dear friend, Candida. Candida is the manager of 'SIGNAL’ a charity based in Lewisham, South London, run by parents for parents of autistic children and young adults. When I first received Charlie's diagnosis I was told about SIGNAL and how much it had helped families like mine for many, many years. At a time when I wasn't coping very well, Candida was the first person from the ‘Autism Community' that I contacted and I'm so glad that I did! She instantly made me feel at ease with her warmth, understanding and wisdom. In this episode, Candida talks to me about her son Harry. Useful Links: 1) SIGNAL - http://signalfamilysupport.org 2) National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk

Autism and Us The Podcast wants to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a wonderful new year. We will be back with a new series on the 29th January 2019, hearing new stories from some very lovely people. With special thanks to my parents and sister, my uni girls and Kit Milsom, my co-producer. Look out for updates on our instagram and facebook, see you soon!

Maisie talks to comedian, television producer, poet and writer, Henry Normal. Henry's book 'A Normal Family: Everyday adventures with our autistic son' is a wonderfully touching, heartwarming and honest portrayal of Henry and his wife Angela's journey of raising their son Johnny. Johnny is 20 now and creates the most fantastic and enthralling art, which has been exhibited in various galleries. Please take a look at Johnny's artwork in the link below. Useful Links: 1) National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk 2) Art by Johnnny: https://www.facebook.com/Art-By-Johnny-882499851852944/ 3) Henry Normal's website: http://henrynormal.com

Maisie talks to her lovely friend, Alice. Maisie met Alice at a support charity for autistic children and their families. Alice discusses her son Jay and his diagnosis of autism. Useful links: Oppositional Defiant Disorder: https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/new-guidelines-on-child-antisocial-behaviour/ ADHD: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/symptoms/

Maisie talks to J Rock who is part of the MOBO award winning band Big Brovaz. J Rock discusses his own journey as a parent to an autistic son, Richard Michael. Useful links: 1) National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk 2) Early Signs of Autism: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/

Maisie talks to the renowned author Kathy Lette (Best Laid Plans, The Boy Who Fell To Earth) about her son Jules and his diagosis of autism. Jules is now an actor who plays Jason in Holby City. You can follow Kathy on twitter @KathyLette or head to kathylette.com for more information.

Autism and Us is an honest, often funny and relatable series that explores the topic of autism by talking to those directly affected by it. In the first episode of the series, Maisie talks to the renowned author Kathy Lette (Best Laid Plans, The Boy Who Fell To Earth) about her son Jules and his diagosis of autism. Jules is now an actor who plays 'Jason' in Holby City. Some useful links: National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk Education, Health and Care Plans: https://contact.org.uk/advice-and-support/education-learning/education-health-and-care-(ehc)-plans/ Getting a diagnosis The main features of ASD – problems with social communication and interaction – can often be recognised during early childhood. Some features of ASD may not become noticeable until a change of situation, such as when the child starts nursery or school. See your GP or health visitor if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of ASD in your child or if you're concerned about your child's development. It can also be helpful to discuss your concerns with your child's nursery or school. Follow Us You can follow us on Instagram @autismanduspodcast and you can email us on maisie@autismandus.org.uk Please email if you would like to share your story on the podcast.