ULLAPOOL mother Morven Da Forno is fully aware that while the summer holidays represent six long weeks of freedom for many, for children with autism it is a break in routine which can prove upsetting and disorientating.
Morven's nine-year-old son Luke has high functioning autism, also known as Asperger Syndrome, and she has decided to share her experiences to help others affected by the condition get the most out of the upcoming holidays.
"The six week school summer break can be a great opportunity to try new experiences and venture into new environments with different sights, sounds and smells," she said.
"However, many children with autism rely heavily on a routine and familiarity. The prospect of change can be frightening, upsetting and disorientating. The sensory overload and the radical change in routine can increase the child's feelings of frustration. Sometimes a child with autism will withdraw, and if they feel they cannot cope, they can even experience what looks like a 'meltdown'.
"Parents of a child with autism want them to have a fantastic summer, but when days don't go so well you can feel drained, disappointed, isolated and even a bit of a failure. I'd like other parents to know that there are at least 1,000 mums and dads in the Inverness area who have similar experiences and great advice to share and support each other. Many of them are members of the Inverness branch of the National Autistic Society."
An estimated 50,000 Scots have autism and those with the condition often encounter significant barriers in communication, social situations and making sense of the world around them.
Morven believes that dealing with a "meltdown" situation can be less stressful if onlookers are supportive rather than judgemental.
"Sometimes when you're out and about in the holidays and your child is confronted with the unexpected, or a social situation they cannot grasp they can panic and react in quite a dramatic way. It can be difficult when it happens in a public place," she said.
"Autism is known as 'the invisible disability', so to an outside observer it can look like your child is just being naughty when they are actually really struggling to understand what's going on around them and cope with the anxiety of it all, like a mini nervous breakdown.
"When people stare, tut or sometimes even make hurtful comments you want to explain, but often your hands are full just trying to contain things and re-assure your child to bring them back to calm. It would be great if there was more awareness of autism, so that people would see the situation for what it really is, be supportive to the parents and not judge, which just adds to the strain the family is under. I promise we're both doing our best all day, every day under circumstances that can sometimes be pretty tricky for even the most experienced parents!
"The holidays are also an opportunity for others to see that children and adults affected by autism have a lot to offer. We are all different in one way or another. Kindness, empathy and reassurance go a long way towards happiness for anyone with autism, minimising anxiety levels."
Morven, who is a member of the Inverness branch of the National Autistic Society, has some simple advice that can help families get the most out of the summer break.
"In the summer holidays we get out and try new things but always give our son an escape route, breaking it down to taking one step at a time. If we're trying out a new theme park or theatre we say "Let's go along and have a look and if we don't like it we can leave," she said.
"The reassurance usually gives our son enough confidence to explore further to the next step. Sometimes we decide to leave if it is not proving beneficial for us all, sometimes one of us will leave with Luke so that my daughter does not miss out, but mostly it's a fantastic success with an enjoyable outing for us all. Progress for our son in a new experience feels like a real achievement.
"We opt for places that allow maximum freedom with minimal safety issues, so the Highlands and Islands are great. We plan outings to never be longer than about two to three hours and have to be flexible so they can be cut short, if necessary. When we have been tempted to stretch this it has nine times out of 10 resulted in the inevitable overload.
"Trips to quiet, rural beaches are a big hit, and picnic snacks and water on hand help our son stay calm when he's getting peckish or thirsty. However, we keep ice-creams to early in the day so there is plenty of time to run off the sugar before bedtime!
"The Bone Caves, four miles south of Inchnadamph in Assynt, are a five-mile round trip and a great opportunity to find caves and explore them. Our son is a member of a great Cubs group, and this fun day helped towards his Hike Badge.
"Waltzing Waters in Newtonmore was a really good holiday activity. He really enjoyed the music, colours and therapeutic sound of the water. I believe this may be its last year so go quickly!
"We use a scale for when my son is not coping. He will tell me how many 'angry' stars he feels and I know he needs quiet time at eight or nine stars. A new DVD of a favourite character is a great reserve for difficult days to calm things down. I often have a root around the charity shops for DVDs to keep in reserve for holidays."
The National Autistic Society Scotland provides a wide range of advice, information, support and specialist services to people with autism and their families. Whilst autism is a serious, lifelong and disabling condition, the right support at the right time can ?make an enormous difference to people's lives.
Dr Robert Moffat, National Director of NAS Scotland said, "Some children with autism need a lifetime of care, but many want to go to school, have friends and have fun in the summer holidays, just like any other child. They just need the right support at the right time to achieve their goals."
