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My interests at the moment are buses and trains

My favourite bus in Hackney is either the bus 30 or 276 because the bus allocation is nice, i like the route and the engine sound

When i grow up, i want to be a fast bus driver. most likely the bus 30 because the route seems easy to remember and i ride it a lot

Bus 30 is a bus operated by metroline and the garage it is from is Holloway garage (i also hope i get to drive either the 4,393 or 43) so yeah i want to be a bus driver when I’m older

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When I grow up, I want to be a cartoonist and filmmaker along side with Rauf and James, we would both form an animation company named TippyToons Entertainment

By Matthew Erhunmwunsee Year 10, age 14 from mossbourne Community

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Ambitious about autism guidance around PfA

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Ambitious about autism guidance around PfA

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Information on employment and work experience for autistic young people.

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Talk Disability - You Don't Look...: 1. Autistic

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Laura designs a look for Emma to help visualise what autism feels like for her.

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Fourteen-year-old Mae has created a guide to try and help people understand autism.

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Join an online forum for autistic young people set up in Manchester.

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A useful tool to help breakdown big tasks!

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A useful tool to help breakdown big tasks!

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#greenscreenvideo I can’t believe I’ve survived this long without this little Goblin tool. I love reverse engineering things (obsessively might I add) but sometimes my brain gets stuck in quick sand and I can’t do a dang thing 🤣💃🏻 This is not sponsored and it’s amazing. Just open your browser and type in Goblin.tools. #goblintools #adhdhack #exeuctivedysfunction #adhdparalysis #adhdfamilylife #adhdissues #adhdsolutions #adhdtipsandtricks #adhdtips 

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@thatadhdlife
#greenscreenvideo I can’t believe I’ve survived this long without this little Goblin tool. I love reverse engineering things (obsessively might I add) but sometimes my brain gets stuck in quick sand and I can’t do a dang thing 🤣💃🏻 This is not sponsored and it’s amazing. Just open your browser and type in Goblin.tools. #goblintools #adhdhack #exeuctivedysfunction #adhdparalysis #adhdfamilylife #adhdissues #adhdsolutions #adhdtipsandtricks #adhdtips
♬ original sound - Just call me T

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Talk to people who share similar experiences to yours by joining a workshop, drop-in session, coffee morning or virtual meeting.

Each session is delivered by parents and carers of autistic people who are happy to share their knowledge and experience with others.

Group sessions take place in regional hubs across England and may be delivered in person or online.

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Autism Central for Parents and Carers | Autism Central

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Autism Central offers a wealth of resources for parents, carers and personal assistants of autistic people in England – from articles and learning materials to signposting you to services and support in your local area.

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Mark Rober (former NASA engineer famous for the ‘glitter bomb’) talks about his son who has Autism.

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Here Sara talks about quiet hour at the Mosque she and her children attend. She reflects on how small changes and adaptations mean her children can access activities within
their community.

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Advice page content

What is the Super Powers project?

Lydia, Hackney Education's Specialist Teacher for autism, started an online forum for young people with autism during lockdown.

For 2021's Autism Awareness Week the forum and pupils in Hackney schools were invited to take part in a project called 'Super Powers'.

Young people have been invited and encouraged to submit projects that express what being autistic means to them.

The project focuses on showcasing particular strengths or what we are calling for this project 'Super Powers'.

Children and young people across Hackney who are also autistic took part or submitted work as part of this project.

Their work will be showcased at an online event and available afterwards to raise awareness of autism and the need for it to be celebrated and better understood in wider society.

What were the young people asked to do for this project?

To help inspire young people wanting to take part, examples from those in the global autism community were shared.

Any young people inspired by these ideas and suggestions can of course share anything they have made even after this project with their family, friends, teachers and us - we are always interested.

How were young people invited to take part?

An open invitation was sent to those with an autism diagnosis through local schools, services and through parents and carers. We also shared information about this opportunity through our Local Offer.

Who shared creative work for the Super Powers project?

The 'Super Powers' project for Autism Awareness week 2021 is aimed at children with an understanding of what their diagnosis means. The newish Autism Online Young People's Forum members have submitted work but any young people who are autistic were encouraged to take part. Younger children were also welcomed to get involved with support from their parents or carer.

How can we see the work young people have submitted?

The online event will be held during Autism Awareness Week, submissions will be published online and shared with partners across Hackney to help promote better understanding of the lived experience of autism in the wider community.

Keep searching below to see the inspiring, moving, insightful and creative submissions from young people in Hackney who want more people to know what autism feels like and means to them.

Now over to the young people who have written poems, made films and artwork for this project.

Happy Autism Awareness Week!

Poem - There is light at the end of the tunnel

When someone asked me how was your day

I used to mask and say it was ok

But deep down I use to cry

and question myself why

It started when I was in secondary school

Where children use to think its cool

To make fun of others and call them a fool

Words are just words

But it hurt inside

It used to play on my mind

Didn't have anyone to trust and confide

All I wanted to do was fit in

I even put on a smile and grin

I tried so hard to be in a crew

But nobody would ever let me come through

Birds of a feather flock together

But I could never relate

Back then I never had at least one good mate

Fighting my own demons alone

Not a friend in sight that I could phone

It was like holding unto a rescue rope

But I couldn't even cope anymore

Fighting the invisible war

Hearing voices, I tried my best to ignore

this was all because of my experience before

When school finished that opened a door

Life got better at the end

I end up making two good friend

That don't just ask to borrow and lend

There was no longer any need to pretend

To try and fit in and blend

Walking to college in the sunlight

Not to see a bully in sight

Instead of flight I chose to fight

And I strived with all my might

Life is light at the end of the tunnel

There's going to be obstacles and you may struggle

Eventually you will get through

There will be a bigger picture that you can view

So Hold your head high

And you will transform, from a caterpillar to a butterfly

Poem by unknown A

KA - Autism and me...

What is autism?

Autism is a condition which affects people's understanding of the world and communication with others.

7 in 100 people have Autism

People with Autism are usually good at focusing on detail

My Strengths:

I am good at puzzles

I have intelligence related to numbers

I am good at maths

I am friendly and creative

I am very neat

Things I find difficult:

Making friends

I really like to know what's going to happen and when

I find it hard to understand what people mean

What's important to me?

Time on my own to chill out

Having regular breaks

Autism is my Super Power because...

I can focus for a really long time on things I like

It makes me have original ideas

Some famous people with Autism:

Artist Stephen Witshire

Scientist Albert Einstein

Woody - My poem

I love to draw, I'm good at it,

And memorising favourite lyrics -

Of any song I only hear once.

And then i'll sing it for months and months.

And I draw and draw, or make some models,

And make a film or animation,

I have a very good imagination.

My superpower is my art, and people say I'm very smart.

When I was young I learned to fly

I still do this, I don't know why.

I do know that it makes me happy - i'm always happy when i'm flapping.

I can disappear from any trouble, inside a world that is my bubble.

A world I made and dream and draw

It opens up a secret door, of images inside my head

I replay when I lie in bed.

I am Woody

Lenny - Autism in a nutshell...

King Theseus fighting a Giant Lizard from Lenny's illustrated presentation for Autism Awareness Week

Given - Autism and me...

Given - Autism and me illustrated presentation

My original characters - small with lots of detail...

"I like to draw original characters - small with lots of detail. Mistakes are okay because mistakes give me more ideas for what to draw next!"

De Beauvoir School - Year 6 Pupil

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0-25 SEND Local Offer | Family Information Service | Super Powers - Young people's creative showcase - Autism Awareness Week 2021

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What is the Super Powers project? Lydia, Hackney Education's Specialist Teacher for autism, started an online forum for young people with autism during lockdown. For 2021's Autism Awareness Week the forum and pupils in Hackney schools were invited to take part in a project called...

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AUTISM UNDERSTOOD - a website about understanding autism, for young autistic people, by young autistic people

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AUTISM UNDERSTOOD - a website about understanding autism, for young autistic people, by young autistic people

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This website was created by Spectrum Gaming, a registered charity. Spectrum Gaming is a community for autistic young people which has three main intended outcomes:

1. Building friendships: We wanted to create a community where autistic young people feel comfortable and can make strong friendships in a safe way. Our main provision is our online community, that anyone from across the UK can access. We also run meet ups for young people who live in the Greater Manchester area.

2. Increasing Self-Acceptance: We want to make sure as many autistic people as possible are able to accept their differences and live the happiest lives they can.

3. Advocacy – We aim to create a movement that will have a positive influence on society through advocacy, and enable strategic change to ensure the needs of autistic young people are met across the UK.

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Kimberlé Crenshaw talks about intersectional theory,
the study of how overlapping or intersecting social identities—and particularly minority identities—relate to systems and structures of discrimination.

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The Mouth That Roars group based in Shoreditch,have created a series of short films on being neurodivergent. One Young person reflects on what it's like to grapple with the different parts of his identity, being a person from a dual heritage parentage.

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Here are series of short films produced by the In Focus film club. In Focus is a film club for neurodivergent young people, that runs at Mouth That Roars.

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An introduction to the Double Empathy problem

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A2ndvoice CIC are a non for profit organisation based in London area that gets involved in providing a safe space for autistic people and the community. We run a range of face to face and online activities throughout the year. Partnering with local and national groups and organisations.

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Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou is an autism researcher and a teaching lecturer at UCL, IOE Department of Psychology and Human Development. Here Dr Pavlopoulou discusses research that explores young autistic people’s own sleep experiences.

Research has shown that most autistic people experience sleep problems throughout their life (Richdale and Schreck, 2009). The most common sleep problems include (Malow et al., 2006, Miano et al., 2007, Giannotti et al., 2008)

sleep onset delay

frequent night-time waking

shorter total sleep time.

Sleep is a strong predictor of quality of life (Deserno et al., 2019) and is related to cognitive and behavioural functioning. Despite the importance of sleep on many domains, it is still unclear from first-hand accounts what helps autistic people to sleep.

The purpose of this study was to explore, together with autistic adolescents, their sleep-related practices during the day and before bedtime that contributed to a good night’s sleep.

Paediatric sleep complaints are often problem-driven and developmentally focused, as they based on parental reports of their children’s sleep. However this study focussed on autistic adolescents own experiences of sleep and what constitutes a ’good night’ of sleep.

The first line of treatment for many autistic young people who struggle to fall asleep, or to stay asleep during the night, is introducing sleep hygiene rules. These are a set of sleep-related and lifestyle habits thought to aide better sleep, for example not viewing screens before bed and making sure a bedroom is dark. For some autistic people this might feel like one more pressure to comply with mainstream rules written by, and for, non-autistic people.

The study

I wanted to explore participants’ sleep experiences and what they perceive as helpful. This study adopts an experience sensitive approach that could, and should, complement other much-needed biomedical approaches to sleep research and practice.

I asked 54 autistic adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, to generate their own photos and use objects and words to introduce subjects and ideas that are meaningful and important to them, around the following themes:

the place they sleep and its surroundings

activities or objects that are related to their sleep habits

activities, objects or people that show situations that are related to daytime and night-time activities that help them to fall or stay asleep

objects, people or drawings that show or are related to the bedtime thoughts and activities that help them to fall asleep

objects, drawings or actions that show how they feel or think about their sleep.

This qualitative approach meant the autistic adolescents were active participants across key stages of data collection and data analysis. This research shares interesting ideas for improving sleep routines that come directly from autistic teenagers.

What did the research tell us

The results identified four key factors that may play a role in the sleep experiences of autistic young people:

focused interests

physical activity

sensory autonomy during bedtime

having more control and choice in their daily lives.

Focused interests

Spending time on their focussed hobbies and interests before bedtime helps distract the teenagers from the stresses of the outside world, even in cases when traditional sleep hygiene rules were not followed (e.g., avoiding screen time or games before bed). Such activities feel familiar, comforting and predictable.

“It [drumming] helps me to release all energy, I am only allowed to have a short session before bed, like 15 min or so (…) It feels relaxing after”

“I am all smiley and happy, like some time ago when I constructed my own castle and a house for my dog in Minecraft (…) it is not real life, and that is the best thing about it”

Physical activity

Opportunities to exercise in their own time, doing activities they choose, was helpful and cultivated positive feelings.

"I love playing with my basketball … not in a team, alone, shooting. I am very good at shooting. I love my ball. (…) because I relax and when I relax I get tired and get to sleep faster.“

“Swimming (…) I think I sleep faster on days I had a swim”

Exercise has been shown to reduce and stabilize cortisol levels over time (McDonnell et al., 2015, pp. 311–322) which can have a positive effect on sleep.

Sensory autonomy during bedtime

This study highlights the importance of sensory issues in relation to sleep, such as touch, feel and smell of nightwear and bedding, for example. Autistic adolescents explained that they had personalised the sleep hygiene rules to fit their need to achieve the right level of sensory stimulation.

“I am sensitive during sleep time. Having a specific set of clothes helps me focus less on my skin sensations."

“If I hold this [pointing to the photo of her holding a soft bunny toy] then I know where my hand is (…) My body is more comfortable.”

Additionally, sharing intimate and predictable time with family members provides essential emotional warmth and safety which is valued by autistic young people as a facilitating factor when they try to have a good night’s sleep.

Sense of agency during day time

The research highlighted the importance of the daytime ‘feel good’ factor on quality of sleep. The feel good factor includes activities, interests, learning and social experiences, within and outside of school, that meet their needs. Being able to have more control and choice on how to spend time at school and home may cultivate positive feelings that promote better sleep.

“Happy thinking in bed (…) knowing that I will speak to people I like at school helps me fall asleep (…) it is all about happy thinking sometimes”.

It is important for sleep therapists to empower young people and their families, to evaluate the impact of daily activities and develop a balance between essential activities and those the young person chooses to do.

Conclusion

The study provides evidence that healthcare practitioners should go beyond providing mainstream sleep hygiene rules, and instead work with autistic adolescents to co-create a personalised set of sleep habits. These may include daytime activities that increase predictability, flexibility to achieve sensory comfort, and activities/relationships and objects that promote a sense of worth.

Further information

Pavlopoulou, G., (2020). A Good Night’s Sleep: Learning About Sleep From Autistic Adolescents’ Personal Accounts. Frontiers in Psychology, 22 December. Open access

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Research exploring the sleep experiences of autistic teenagers

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The National Autism Society guide to this international event.

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The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West (ARC West) in collaboration with Autism Independence has revealed that stigma surrounding mental health, distressed behaviours and disability means that families in the Somali community struggle to access early help. The Somali community has high numbers of autistic children however, there is no Somali word for autism, making it hard to understand and accept. This film Overcoming Barriers, tells the stories of some of the Bristol-based Somali families supported by Autism Independence.

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Overcoming Barriers: Autism in the Somali Community (English version)

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"No more them and us" - disrupting attitudes to autism

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"No more them and us" - disrupting attitudes to autism

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Autism Independence, led by Nura Aabe, works with over 100 children with autism in Bristol, supporting families from the Somali community and other Black, Asian and minority
ethnic backgrounds. In this Ted Talk she talks about her experiences and what led her to this work.

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Nura Aabe: No More Us and Them - Disrupting Attitudes to Autism | TED Talk

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“I felt stuck between two worlds - the professionals and my community. Neither of which understood me, and neither of which understood Zak.” When her oldest son Zak was diagnosed with autism, Nura Aabe had not heard of autism, a condition that has no word to describe it in the Somali language. D…

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A documentary about autism and intersectionality

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A documentary about autism and intersectionality

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Too Autistic for Black is a story that explores what it's like to be Black, British and marginalised in the autism discourse. In the short film, the filmmaker and TV presenter, Tee Cee, talks openly about her own and others' experiences.

New original social responsibility documentary

Written, directed and presentedby Talisha 'Tee Cee' Johnson, streaming now on discovery+ for Autumn / Winter 2022

A Royal Television Society nominated TV creative - Talisha Johnson known professionally as Tee Cee is a TV Producer, TV Presenter and Author who made her writer-director debut on her new short documentary' Too Autistic For Black'commissioned by Warner Bros. Discovery as part of their Black Britain Unspoken series on discovery+ for black history month.

Hailing from Birmingham, Tee Cee has won ten commissions for her ideas and formats across various channels including BBC Three Birmingham's first in-house commission'My Mate's A Bad Date' (Broadcasts International Hot Picks Formats 2020).

Tee Cee - Brum's Queen of Colour 🦄🇯🇲 (@thisisteecee)
🖥 Stream #TooAutisticForBlack now @discoveryplusuk
🎬 Content Creator Portfolio @tcntv_
📚 #SnowBlack2 Author
▶️🎵Spare time @teamnyag

or songwriting
linktr.ee/thisisteecee
📺 Aired on:

discovery+ (discoveryplus.com) | Too Autistic for Black | Black Britain Unspoken | Videos |
www.discoveryplus.com/gb/show/black-britain-unspoken

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TOO AUTISTIC FOR BLACK | BLACKLIVESMATTER.UK

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Too Autistic for Black is a story that explores what it's like to be Black, British and marginalised in the autism discourse. In the short film, the filmmaker and TV presenter, Tee Cee, talks openly about her own and others' experiences.

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The CRAE have a series of lectures focusing on Autism.
In this lecture, Rachael Davis talks about the impact of
bilingualism on autisitic children.

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CRAE Webinar Series 2022-2023 - Rachael Davis

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Information about and support for autistic people suffering from anxiety.

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The latest knowledge around anxiety. | Autistica

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The latest knowledge around anxiety, and the research and policy work we are carrying out.