Welcome

In the summer of 2009, two parents sat at the edge of the Lido in Tooting, South West London, discussing our children who had recently been diagnosed with autism.

We decided to set forth on a project that helped both of us come to terms with having children with autism, as well as assisting others who might be experiencing similar difficulties.

The aim was to raise awareness of autism for both carers and people living with autism.

Autism is a hidden disability. You can’t tell that a person is autistic by looking at them, and this can make dealing with autism even harder.

We applied to Wandsworth Council Arts Department for funding to enable us to carry out an art and creative-writing project. The vision was to share our experiences of autism by working with both carers and teenagers with autism.

Our application was successful and here, on this site, is the outcome of two workshops held in early 2010. One with nine mothers, who care for and have an autistic child, and the other with seven young people with autism aged 11-15.

We thank each of those who participated for sharing experiences so close to their heart, and we hope you - the viewer - enjoy the fruits of this project.

Amelia Critchlow and Rachel Nixon
March 2010