Happy New Year and it's Anna Kennedy at Women's Radio Station, voice of Women Worldwide, talking all things autism. I've got some exciting news to share with you today that my son Patrick rang me. He was out of breath and he said, Mum, I've got the job. He's passed his six month probationary period. Well done, Patrick. We're finally there. So now he's going to be looking for a flat. So I'm so proud of him. I'm so excited that he's finally got himself a full time job and he says, Mum, now I can contribute to society. That's all that I wanted. So I'm so proud of him. So this is my very first live show. Oh, I'm so excited about it. And I've got my first guest with me, Tali. Not there. Hello, Tali. Hi. Happy New Year to you. Happy New Year to you too. So I'm just going to say a little bit about what I've been doing since the last show. And then we're going to be talking about all things autism. So over the Christmas period, we had some amazing events and such really feel good factor. So it was the Basildon Towngate Theatre. We had Snow White. We were given 100 free tickets and it was an autism friendly performance. And it was so good. It was just so good. And you know what I loved hearing was the noises, the laughter, looking around, smiling at the parents where they were with their siblings and their children. And what an autism friendly performance is. If you don't know, it's a calmer setting. The house lights are at 50 percent. All the bumps, jumps and bangs have been edited. And then what happens is at the very beginning, there's an introduction to the characters at the beginning of the show. So the children and adults who are autistic know what's coming and what they're going to be dressed like. So it was such a lovely show. And that was our charity champions were there, Dawn and Keith Avery and our ambassador, So this is the second year we've been doing it and we're going to be doing it again next year. We're all so at Kilmarnock Horse Rescue, of which I'm patron and autism support growly. And what they had was an awesome friendly Santa. Again, lovely event. I love the interactions of the children with the horses, the ponies and the donkeys. It's such an amazing place. If you can get to go there, it's Kilmarnock Horse Rescue in Crawley. Check it out. And the last thing that we did was we did a collaboration with Hillingdon Dads. And what we did was there was one hundred and forty children attended a Christmas market and autism friendly Santa. It's our second year. The mayor of Hillingdon came and it's a free event. And basically children got lots of presents for free. It was just such a feel good. It was just at their pace. Nobody judging anybody. It was just everybody enjoying what they were doing. And we're going to be doing our fun day again in the summer. So you need to check out what we're doing on the charity website, which is www.annaKennedyonline.com If you're a dad and you want to join a Hillingdon Dads group, they support carers and parents of children with SCN. And it's not just autism. It's all different disabilities. So if you're interested, it's a Dads group. And the telephone number to contact to speak to Kevin is 0 7 8 8 9 6 5 1 0 1 6. Just repeat that just in case you haven't got a pen. It's 0 7 8 8 9 6 5 1 0 1 6. And you can find them on social media on Facebook. So Tali, you have been working with me for quite some time. You need a gold medal. I do. I do. I do. I have the scars. So tell me, when did we first meet? Jeez. Do you know what? It was actually a complaint. Okay. What about me? I didn't even know about you then. At that point I had had the diagnosis and I was looking for a school for Taryn, my son. And well, we all know how difficult it is to get your child into any school. And I wanted healing to manner. Okay. And obviously local authorities saying no, they'd chosen the school for me. And I think the reason we get on so well is we don't take no. We do what we know is right for our child. And I wrote, I think it was a journalist. Is it Humphreys? Oh, Humphrey Hockley. That's it. Right. He'd written an article about how amazing the school was. And I wrote back and said it might be amazing, but I can't even get a look in. Almost immediately you wrote back. Yeah. And that was it. And that just started it all off. And then we started chatting and you gave me support and I managed to get him in. About seven years ago. Yeah, it's about seven years. So yeah. So obviously he's moved on now because his needs have changed. Our kids don't stay static. They're constantly changing and evolving. We have to reassess what they need. And so for Taran, going through his teens was just a huge explosion and a mega change. And the whole environment just wasn't right for him. And he needed something a lot more structured and away from everything. So now he's in a residential school prize court and he's doing really well there. OK, so we're going to be talking a little bit more about Fragilex in the second part of the program. So because a lot of people might not have heard of it. Absolutely. And you never know that someone might be listening. Their child might have Fragilex or questions to ask. So we are going to be creating. Is it our third year now? The expo? Yeah, do you know what? I've lost count. It must be three or four. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, it's so exciting. I mean, we went to a couple of autism exhibitions ourselves. We did. Yeah. And what we found was that they weren't particularly autism friendly. So the only people that could really attend were people were sort of like people looking for answers. But people who are on the spectrum found it difficult themselves because of the sound. In the auditorium, the fact that you couldn't even... I mean, going to a toilet was down three or four flights of stairs. Yeah. Getting there was a nightmare. So I remember us just sitting there saying, well, we could give this a go. Yeah, on a smaller scale. On a much smaller scale, something which is actually autism friendly. And that's when we found Brunel. And the particular building that we use is just amazing, isn't it? It is. It's just almost like it lends itself. It does. It's the Eastern Gateway and it's the newest part, I believe, of Brunel University, which is in Oxbridge. Yeah. So near to where the charity office is. And our contact there is just amazing. Kimberly is amazing. Yeah. I mean, they've bent over backwards to support us and help us. And what we found is that it doesn't matter how packed it gets, you can still hear each other. And it's not overwhelming. Century-wise, it's fantastic. And again, I mean, we've got some amazing speakers this year. Absolutely amazing. I mean, we've got one of my favourites, Alexander Bester, from Functional Foods. And if you like chocolate and you want something healthy, my God, does she supply the most amazing chocolate, which looks stunning. Absolutely looks stunning and tastes fantastic. And it's packed full of nutrients as well. Yeah, she's going to be one of my future speakers on the radio station. Oh, she's amazing. And that's basically because of her son because he wouldn't eat, so she had to create something for him. So listening, we'll sort of give you the heads up when Alexander's going to be speaking. Yeah, no, I can't wait to hear her speak and obviously eat in the background. And then we've got Joanna Gibbs, who runs Sensational Tutors. And again, that's very important about finding the right support for our children. If they need that extra help, where do we go? I mean, using conventional tutors probably wouldn't be the right thing because they don't have that understanding of autism. So she set up this company, Sensational Tutors, to support our children and get them to a good standard. And I've posted some of her videos up of her working with some children. And it's fascinating. I mean, I've picked up loads of tips for my son for the way she's been doing stuff. So that's fantastic. We've got Paul Goodwin, who is talking about PDA awareness. Now, I don't know too much about that, but I know it's a really, really hot topic at the moment. Yeah, and what they're saying some people is it's not part of the autism spectrum and the PDA agency, companies, groups, charity, are saying that it is part of the autism spectrum. So again, one of my speakers further down the line, so then people can learn more about PDA. Absolutely. And I think we need to give people the platform to say what they need to say. And then we can make a decision, but not just say no outright straight away. And I think that's the beauty of what we do. We give people the opportunity to say their piece and then allow people to make their own mind up, because what I realized was when my son was given that diagnosis of autism, the one thing that I valued more than anything was taken away from me. And that was the ability to choose what I wanted for my son. Whereas for my daughter, I can choose whatever school I want her to go to because she's neurotypical. She can go to whatever school, clubs, you name it, the world's her oyster. But for my son, as soon as I got that diagnosis, I was told what school he was going to go to, what therapies he could have, what I could do, what I couldn't do. And that for me is a red rag to a ball. How dare you tell me what I can and can't do. And I think you're the same. And what we want to do is give people the chance to hear the information you make up your mind. It can be quite an anxious position to be in, because obviously when you start doing the research, once your child's been diagnosed, there's so many different strategies of working with our children. And it would be great if someone could sit down with you and say, this is your son. This would work best for your son. This would work best for your daughter. But it's very much left down to us. And also, it's also left down to us. It's what you can get. So even if you want a specific thing or specific way of working, you just can't seem to get it. So you just have to get what's available. So that's the frustrating thing as well. And also what I've realised is to have the luxury of having a child with a disability, you need to be rich. Because half the stuff that you want costs a fortune. The reports are just like... It's horrendous, isn't it? I know so many people sort of max out credit cards. Well, I did. Remorse their homes. My husband's not listening. Because when we first had to fight to get town into the school, I had to pay for a solicitor. And obviously the only way that we could do that was, you know, to put that onto credit cards and things. Because there is a sense of urgency and you've got to get things done quickly and there's deadlines. And I didn't think about it. I just did it. I just wanted him in that school and that was it. And money was a secondary thing. And even resources. Yeah. When you're buying specific stuff for your child. It's really, really expensive. And I noticed that when we first set up the school, the resources and the stuff that we need for the school, it was so expensive. It was just like... They've almost stuck like a couple of hundred pounds extra. I know. Because it's just got S.E.N. in front of it. But that's the way of this world. So also we've got Amanda Leighton. Oh, yes. I don't know much about Amanda. I think Amanda has spoken to me. She sent me a whole wad of stuff about herself, newspaper cuttings. And she's got a very much holistic approach. She's in her 50s and she wants to talk about how she's got through life. So she's going to be a really interesting person to listen to. Siena. Yeah. Who is our new ambassador? Well, I'm so proud to have her. So yeah, I'll read you a little bit about Siena actually. So Siena actually was in Tahiti and she sent a video of herself. I saw that. It's an elephant. Yeah, thank you. And the elephant was called Anna. So we're actually running out of time of our first half. So we'll talk a little bit more about Siena and what she actually does. So she's amazing. You're one of the 16 years old, what she's achieved. So again, I'll just refresh your mind. So if you want to get in contact with our charity, it's www.annaKennedyonline.com. We're on social media. We're on Twitter. We're on Facebook. We're on Instagram. And if you want to follow me on Twitter, it's at AnnaKennedy OBE. I'm always posting information that I've found or what the charity's up to. If you want to contact the office and speak to somebody, it's 01895-540187. This is Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide, talking all things autism. Welcome to Women's Radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about two to three kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's Radio Station, we want to hear from you. This is Women's Radio Station. We are looking to argue a prize with pitch and sink, spiritual honesty Anna Kennedy talking all things autism. And my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to Women's Radio Station. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Valentina Barraci, and I'm the executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth and mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own, and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website at mediamattersforwomen.org. Women's Radio Station is passionate about communication, and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presenters at womensradiostation.com. If there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity, helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness, or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntotus.org.uk. Let me tell you about German Street Theatre. This is a secret theatre in the heart of the West End, once found, never forgotten. This is where careers ignite, where playwrights take risks, where great actors perform just feet away from the audience. This is where magic happens. We would love you to join our mailing list or become a sponsor or just buy a ticket to one of our shows. The website is www.germondstreettheatre.co.uk. Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Hello, this is Anna Kennedy at Women's Radio Station, talking all things autism, voice of women worldwide. Previously, we were just talking about Sienna Castellone, which is one of our new ambassadors. I'm so excited that Sienna is part of the team now. I first met Sienna two years ago, and she was one of our hero award winners. So Sienna is 16 years old. She is an advocate and an anti-bullying campaigner. She has autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxic. She also has ADHD. Sienna is passionate about changing negative perceptions and stereotypes about autistic people and people with learning disabilities. When she was 13 years old, she created a website, which is called qlmentoring.com, to mentor and support autistic students and students with learning differences. She created the website because she found that all the online resources were aimed at parents. On her website, Sienna provides practical information and advice on how to overcome some of the academic and social challenges often faced by students and its special educational needs. So we're excited that Sienna is part of the team, and at 16, she has achieved so much already. I think the video really shows how amazing she is. Yeah, so she's going to be speaking at the expo. Yeah, and I like the way she calls it, what does she call it? Learning differences. That's right, yeah. I love that. I hate that word, learning disabilities. It's a different style of learning. Yeah. And that is, that's lovely. That's really nice. So Tali's my guest today, and she's going to be talking in the second half about Taryn and Fragilex. You might not have heard of Fragilex. What is Fragilex, and what does it mean to have a dual diagnosis? Well, it was, well, I didn't know anything about it. So when we originally had the diagnosis, the first diagnosis we had was of autism because he presented with all of the usual things with the hand flapping and sort of not really being aware of people around him, the anxiety and stuff like that. But I think it became quite common to have a blood test as well to look for genetic disorders. Okay. And that's where six months later we got a double whammy where we got the second diagnosis, which was Fragilex, and I had no idea what that was. And what it is, it's a genetic condition where the X chromosome is damaged. And so we have an X and Y. So if the X is damaged, obviously it causes, there's no sort of compensation like in girls where you have two X chromosomes. Well, obviously you still can have Fragilex if you're a girl, but in boys it can be pretty profound. Okay. And so once we realized that, we had to have genetic testing where it, so we realized how far, where it came from, and it came from my father's side to the family. Okay. And then sort of my sisters have to be tested, and anyone in the family needs to be tested, just because even though you might not have the condition yourself, you can still be a carrier. Okay. And there are associated conditions that can come with being a carrier as well. So you can be anxious, and there are sort of conditions that you can develop later on in life. There's fast tax, which is like a tremor. Okay. But you need to know these things early. And obviously, you know, you could pass that on, as I did, to Taran. So you need to know what to be prepared for when you have a child if there's a possibility that you could have a child with Fragilex as well. So what different support would you have to give to a child that has Fragilex than autism? They present themselves very similar. Okay. And that's why when you look at Taran, he doesn't, so a lot of, some children with Fragilex have a physical, you can see a physical difference. They have longer faces, long ears, and they just have very long faces. It's not always evident when they're very young, and they can develop into that. Is that arm and chipped eyes? No, just very long faces. But Taran doesn't have that. Okay. He's now 16, and he still, at the moment, still doesn't have, he's got quite a roundish sort of face. But he has extremely high anxiety, unbelievably high anxiety, more so than most, and that's pretty prevalent in Fragilex. So what sort of things make him anxious, would you say? Oh, just going through a doorway can make him anxious. Change makes him very anxious, so all new things. So he needs that predictability, and he needs very calm environments, and wide open spaces are really useful to him, helpful to him. So the thing is, with the dual diagnosis, sometimes it's really hard, because they present themselves as autism, but the underlying differences and how we should sort of be dealing with them are different, and that's why it's important to get that diagnosis. So the way you teach Taran would be slightly different to the way you would teach somebody else. So he likes incidental learning. He doesn't like, so if you sat next to him and didn't actually address him but just did something, he would then copy and learn. Whereas if you sat face to face in front of him, he would find that quite intimidating. So it's almost like parallel learning. Absolutely, and I think a lot of Fragilex children actually prefer that sort of style of learning. So I think it's important. That's why, you know, get that test done. So if you thought your child may have Fragilex, where would you go? Would you be able to see the same consultant pediatrician as in if they had a diagnosis of autism? You should do, yeah, you should do. I know some pediatricians are only obviously qualified in certain areas. I think it's the most commonly diagnosed genetic condition. It's still rare in comparison to autism, and autism is one in a hundred. Fragilex, I think it's one in a thousand. And is it more prevalent in boys? Yeah, so for boys, it's one in four thousand. And girls still get it, and it can still be profound in girls, but it seems to be boys that tend to get the brunt of it. Okay, so have you got a contact? Absolutely. I mean, I'm also a director for the Fragilex Society in the UK, who are unbelievable people. They do so much work. And again, it's not a huge charity, but again, they do masses of work. And Becky Hardiman, who's the CEO, she's unbelievable. I mean, what she doesn't know is not worth knowing, and she's amazing with everybody. And Craig McDonald, who was the chair, is a big supporter of Anna Kendi online. He's been to the expo. No, not the expo. Autism's got talent. Oh, yes, yes, I remember meeting him now, yeah. And now we have Dr. Kirsten. Just make sure that I get her name right. Kirsten Johnson, who's now the chair. And hopefully we can get Becky and Kristen to come and talk to you about Fragilex. And we've been doing loads to support people. There's the website, which is the Fragilex.uk.org. So you can find this if you'd like to know Google. Yeah, because we are the main charity for Fragilex, but we've got some amazing downloadable information about absolutely fantastic resources, and the support is really good as well. So they do things like workshops and conferences? No, but what we do is, is one of my biggest dreams when I joined the Fragilex Society was to create an event which was family friendly. And the first one we did, we actually managed to do it. We did it two years ago, the first one at the Tomley Centre. Oh, yes, I've been there. And what my aim was, was that what I realised is conferences are fine and you can sit and listen to all these doctors and experts and whatever. But what you actually take away is when you speak to another parent, what they did and what techniques they use, you seem to get more from that than just listening to a speaker. So what I wanted was a family event where you can relax, where your children are catered for, and you can sort of really chill and speak to other parents and learn about, firstly, just offload and then also find out about what other people have done. So we did this at the Tomley Centre two years ago, and oh my God, I've never cried so much, because when parents came up to me and said, you know what, this is the first time I've been able to relax, this was actually like a holiday, and I don't know where my son is at the moment, but I know he's safe. But we also found that children were playing together and that's never happened as well, because when our children are in the right environment with no anxiety, it's amazing what they can do. I know, special things happen. Absolutely, so these children were playing together, parents were able to talk to each other, but you know what, in those two days, I didn't hear one child cry, I didn't see one tantrum, I didn't see one meltdown. Because there was less pressure around them when the environment was geared up for them. Could we just talk a little about the Tomley Centre? I know parents are always hungry for finding out about places where they can take their child, where they're not going to be judged to where it's a relaxed environment, where they can take the siblings as well, so obviously, I've only been there once, and then I went a long, long, long time ago, so you've been there regularly. Well, it became almost like a second home to me, because prior to Taryn coming to Hillingdon Manor, I home-schooled him for two years, and the Tomley Centre became almost a school setting for him. So where is it? Wirming Hall, it's near Oxford. So again, you can type in the Tomley Centre on Google, and the information will come up. And it's reasonable as well. Oh my God, I think it's about £10 for the whole day, it's probably even less. And now they've got a fantastic café there with freshly cooked food. They've got the most amazing play area, where the kids can just get on a bike and just ride around. They've got this fort sort of soft play area. Swings. Exactly. The wire. Yeah, a climbing wall. They've got an art room, they've got a play room, which you can't get Taryn out of once he's in there. But you have to book an appointment, you can't just turn up. No, you must book an appointment. And also in the holidays, what I love about the summer holidays, is every day is themed. Yeah, that's what I remember now. Yeah, so every day it will be something different going on, and they can just join in and just book it. But seriously, it was a lifeline to me. And it's for adults and children. Yeah, so what they've also got is an adult room. So for young adults who don't want to mix with the little kids, they've got their own area, they've got a gym there as well. And I think there was another, we did our second conference there last year, and it's just brilliant, I think. I take my hat off to them. They've filled a big hole. There's very few places for us to take our children. So how's Taryn getting on now? Obviously he's 16, you've gone through the teenage years. Look at you. So is he doing well? He's doing well. He's at prize court now. He's actually in a place where he's comfortable and he's relaxed. And he's now able to do things that he wasn't able to do. So I'm really pleased with his progress. I mean, again, you know, things might change. But for now, I can take a breath. Okay, so if you're interested in coming along to our expo, it's www.akoautismexpo.co.uk Either or.com, don't get that. And you'll see all the information about the speakers, about the stands that we have. Just come along and have a coffee and have a chat. It's only £10 for the whole day. We've got clinics as well where you can get free advice. So it may be legal. It may be occupational therapy. It might be about behaviour. So again, check out the website and you can book your tickets. It's £10 for the day. So that's www.akoautismexpo.com. And we're at Women's Radio Station. Talking all things autism. Welcome to Women's Radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about two to three kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's Radio Station. We want to hear from you. This is Women's Radio Station. You're listening to April Price with Kitchen Sink spirituality. Anna Kennedy talking all things autism. And my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to Women's Radio Station. Women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Valentina Barracci and I'm the executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth and mobile phones. Focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website at mediamattersforwomen.org. Women's Radio Station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presenters at womensradiostation.com. If there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntotus.org.uk. Let me tell you about German Street Theatre. This is a secret theatre in the heart of the West End, once found, never forgotten. This is where careers ignite, where playwrights take risks, where great actors perform just feet away from the audience. This is where magic happens. We would love you to join our mailing list or become a sponsor or just buy a ticket to one of our shows. The website is www.germondstreettheatre.co.uk. Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little help. Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We are at Women's Radio Station talking all things autism, voice of women worldwide. My guest today is Tali Nofe. Before we go over to Tali, I just wanted to share with you about the autism reality experience. Do you want to experience what it might like to have autism? It's an innovative and immersive training experience designed to give participants an experience of 7-3 overload. We've been working with the autism reality experience probably about two years now and we're proud to be in collaboration with them. What we're doing is we're going to be bringing them back to the Bruno University. We've taken it out to Essex and it was to help the first responders to recognise and understand the challenges autistic children and adults experience during emergency situations and familiarise themselves with more effective communication. This came about because of Aston, who's one of our ambassadors, who had a negative experience with the police and he wanted autistic adults and children not to experience what he experienced at the high levels of anxiety. It was an amazing day. We had something like 140-150 first responders come along to experience the day from the police, from the ambulance service and from the fire service. What also came out is how people were chatting to each other and also officers shared that they had children and adults with autism which they've never done before. This is what we found where we've done lots of different events where they've kept it to themselves almost like they're worried about sharing it and they shouldn't. But we've had the experience at the export and we just had queues. We had queues. Even though I was clearing up at the end of the day we were all packing stuff up. There were still queues of people trying to get onto the bus. Like a three-minute experience, which is the shorter experience. It was such a profound experience. The number of parents that came out of there crying saying that they would never shout at their child again. They understood why their child didn't hear them or didn't understand what was going on. But I think it's more people. Whether you work with people on the spectrum or not I think everyone needs to experience this and see what our children go through. I think it would make life a lot easier. You see parents sometimes shouting at their children and I'm thinking, do you know what? That kid can't hear you. Yeah, it just goes over the top of their head. But when you go through it, you totally understand because I remember going in there and you think, oh God, they ask you to do five tasks. Really, really unbelievably simple tasks. The next thing you know is that when you're actually doing it I think I did two. I know. It's just like, where's the two peas? Exactly. But then there are some people who didn't find it difficult at all. I know. But then that's their world. They have sensory issues themselves. I think it's a must. Please do come down to the expo and actually give it a go. And if you think there are people who think and benefit from actually experiencing it, tell them. I mean, this is something that normally costs a lot of money to experience, doesn't it? And we've got it there and it's part and parcel of the expo. So please do come and give it a go. Yeah, and if you want to bring it to your school, you can contact them. It's training to care. So that's number two care. So it's training number two and care. And the telephone number is 01376 573 999. Just repeat that. It's 01376 573 999. So you're part of something that's called Ollie anti-superpowers. So what is that about? I know. I know. I want some superpowers. I think Anna, you do have superpowers. I mean, you know, there's no question about that. I mean, this is something, again, that sort of I accidentally fell into. OK. And I trained as a cognitive hypnotherapist. And one of the support staff that was that were helping out when we did exercise and things was a lady called Alison Knowles. And we sort of hit it off. And the next thing I knew, I'm helping them and I'm part of the Ollie team. And to be honest, it's still quite a blur how it all happened. But I'm so glad that we did. So Ollie anti-superpowers is a creation of Alison Knowles. And she has written books and there's an Ollie doll. And it's actually a therapy that she uses to work with children. OK. And what we do is we train therapists to become Ollie coaches to work with children within schools or in their own practices. So you can come on this course and you can then start working with children. OK. And it's all about supporting children and mental health issues. OK. And what we're finding now is that Ali was telling me earlier this morning that now what she calls her hut, which is her therapy room, she's seeing more and more children on the autistic spectrum who are coming. And this Ollie therapy is working really, really well. The Ollie coaching seems to come across really well with our children. OK. But I think my main goal is to get more people trained, particularly in schools. I was just going to say, would it be suitable for schools? We are winning more and more contracts and getting more Ollie coaches into schools. And what we're finding is, and as you know, I mean, how many parents are struggling with getting a diagnosis? So there are mainstream schools with loads of kids in them who should have an autism diagnosis but don't. Oh, waiting for one. Absolutely. But they're not getting the support. But with Ollie coaches trained, so teachers trained as Ollie coaches, they can support these kids. OK. They can really help navigate through any issues that they might have. So teachers will be able to identify issues and then support them either in a group setting or in a one-to-one setting. So could you give me just a little example of how you would speak to a child with Ollie Dolly? Well, it's basically, I mean, everyone is different. So it's allowing the child to lead and working out what they need. So I'm not a qualified Ollie coach myself, but I've seen Ollie work with children. And what an Ollie coach is able to do is allows the child to almost open up. OK. And they then talk to the doll. They talk to the doll. So they're able to talk to sort of feelings that they, perhaps anger issues, which is a big thing at the moment. We have a lot of angry kids out there. But how do you address that anger? And it's very difficult. But with an Ollie doll, you can do that. And sometimes the kids are curing the doll who has an anger issue. So they're able to say, oh, well, you know, Ollie needs to do this. But in actual fact, it's what they need. But it's getting it out into the open and then giving them tools and skills that they can use themselves. So these are lifelong skills that they're learning at a very early age that they can take through primary school, secondary school and beyond. And so they can manage their own issues, anger issues, anxiety issues. I don't know if they've been bullied. How do you deal with things like that? So the coaches deal with all of this kind of stuff. So if someone's interested in contacting an Ollie coach or would like to be an Ollie coach, where would they look? Well, again, we've got a fantastic website, which is full of information, but also our Facebook page, which is probably it's it. There's lots of stuff going on. Ali puts on videos there all the time. So if you just look up Ollie and his superpowers, you'll find the website and please do join the website. And if you're interested in becoming an Ollie coach, please do contact Caroline on the website and see because at the moment we have Crystal, who's one of our who's part of the AKO team. She she's actually studied to be an Ollie coach and she's although she's not fully qualified yet, she's actually using a lot of the techniques to support her children. OK. And and it's amazing. She's she can't speak highly enough of the whole Ollie methodology interested. They can check out the website or they can check out the Facebook page. Absolutely. Yeah. OK. I just wanted to touch on Orton's Got Talent. My favorite topic of all time. So Orton's Got Talent, the closing date has now finished, but we are still looking for acts and performers for Zint Eyes. So that particular avenue is open. So if you check out the website. It's a beautiful theatre. It is. It's beautiful. So Orton's Got Talent. We had so many. How many last minute videos did you get? At 10 to 12 and the 31st of December, because 31st December was the closing date, we had 24 entries in at 10 to 12. Could you believe it? Lisa couldn't believe it because she kept hearing her phone pinging away. So we're going to be looking at all the entries very, very soon. And we're going to be announcing towards the end of January who the 2020 I'm going to say lucky performers are going to get to perform on Orton's Got Talent at the Mermaid Theatre on May the 4th. And we're going to be selling tickets soon. So we're really excited. I'm really excited to see all the auditions and they've come from all over the country and overseas. I'm also excited to share that one of our Orton's Got Talent performers, Jasmine Brinkhurst, was on BBC One and it was a programme called This Is My Song and it was a couple of weeks ago. Now Jasmine, sorry to get my teeth in, Jasmine first performed for us in 2016. She sent me a video from her bedroom because she'd never sang in public before. I thought, oh my God. She's amazing. She is amazing. And I remember the Friday before the show, she decided she didn't want to do it. And I was thinking, oh no, she's got to do it. But eventually she did. She sang on stage. You could have heard a pin drop. She was so amazing. And then she got a round of applause, a standing ovation. And I remember her skipping off the stage. So she sang Rise Up. So if you want to listen to it, just look on This Is My Song and look for Jasmine Brinkhurst. She will bring tears to your eyes. She was amazing. And she sang for the first time with a choir. I felt like my heart was going to jump out my chest when she was singing. I was so proud of her. So we've got a roadshow, which is going to be at the Isle of Wight. That's in April. So dates to be announced very soon. Obviously we've got May the 4th, which is at the Mermaid Theatre, which is at Blackfriars. And then in June we have St Ives. So if you want to enter for the St Ives, please send us in your entries. We'll also be going to Rice Lip, which is quite close to the charity office. So that's going to be in October. So we'll be announcing a little bit more information about that. And another event that we have annually is the Hero Awards. We've already had so many entries in already for the Hero Awards. And that is September is going to be the closing date. And November will be when the actual event will happen. So what you need to do is send in your entry. So people that you feel have gone the extra mile. It could be a teacher. It could be a teaching assistant. It could be a mom. It could be a sibling. It could be a business. So please send us in your entry. Again, all the information is on the charity website. That's www.annaKennedyonline.com. So if you are a singer, you're a dancer, you're a magician, you're a musician, you've got a band. Whatever it is that you can do. If you've got artwork, we haven't talked about artistic and how amazing they are. Please send it to us. How many times have at the back of the stage we've been crying? Oh my God, we're in floods of tears at every show. Me and Lisa, we're at the back crying. And it's because of the friendships that are created behind stage as well. And the opportunities, the sponsorships, the scholarships that have evolved from autism. But we've broken all the rules that people say that this is what autistic people are like. And you know, we just shake our heads and come to our show and see what the real world is really like. People talk about it for weeks. So we're at Women's Radio Station talking all things autism, voice of women worldwide. If you'd like to contact us. Welcome to Women's Radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about two to three kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's Radio Station, we want to hear from you. This is Women's Radio Station. You're listening to Agile Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality. This is Anna Kennedy talking all things autism. And my guest today is Karen Young. I listen to Women's Radio Station. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Valentina Barraci and I'm the executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth and mobile phones. Focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website at mediamattersforwomen.org. Women's Radio Station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programs. Email presenters at womensradiostation.com. If there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter, do get in touch. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity, helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntotus.org.uk Let me tell you about German Street Theatre. This is a secret theatre in the heart of the West End, once found, never forgotten. This is where careers ignite, where playwrights take risks, where great actors perform just feet away from the audience. This is where magic happens. We would love you to join our mailing list or become a sponsor or just buy a ticket to one of our shows. The website is www.germondstreettheatre.co.uk Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Hello, this is Anna Kennedy at Women's Radio Station talking all things autism, voice of women worldwide. I just wanted to share with you that the National Audit Office is compiling a report to be launched in the spring, ongoing study on support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. They wanted to know from families the experience of the system and how it has affected the child and their family. I've noticed more parents are fighting the system. Obviously, it's been happening for a long time, but I've just seen a really big increase. Obviously, there's a group that has issued legal proceedings against the Secretary of State because of the underfunding of SEN. So, good on them. There's obviously a lot of marches and things. We're going to get inundated, aren't we? That's going to be in May. I also wanted to say that the NHS announced their long-term plan on learning disability and autism. This is a statement from the charity. We are saying that the NHS has produced its new health service prevention measures, a 10-year plan designed to be preemptive, stopping problems happening. There is a lot to this initiative, including providing early intervention for people with autism. In summary, autism will become a priority, the objective being to reduce health inequalities, less favourable treatment received by people with an autism spectrum condition compared to others. It seems that the NHS will be taking advice from interested parties such as charities. It has been suggested that part of the strategy should be training in autism spectrum conditions at all levels, including JPs, and early diagnosis and follow-up support. I've heard so many times about early diagnosis, like it must be about 10 years. The details have not been decided and clearly we have seen initiatives like this before. That said, this is a clear recognition that outcomes for people with an autism spectrum condition are less favourable and it is now for at least an attempt to do something about rectifying this, and obviously my friend Paula McGowan, she has had quite a big influence on training, mandatory training from NHS staff, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is going to happen quite soon. We're not quite sure what form it's going to take yet, but we are watching this space. So Tally, thank you again for coming along to chat to me at the Women's Radio Station. So what part do family and community play in your life? It's huge. I couldn't have done any of what I do if it wasn't for the fact that I've got the most amazing support. I'm lucky. You know, we can't say this about everyone. I've got the most fantastic parents, my sisters, Kieran and Jazz, and I have been amazingly supportive. My husband, Cool Deep, is just, again, just lets me get on with things and is there. If I need anything, he's there. And then there's my daughter Gina. I mean, she's struggled, but she's been amazing. I've been very, very lucky. And again, this is not the case for everyone because even my husband's side of the family, they've all been accepting. So it's never been an issue of hiding Taryn's diagnosis. That's never been the case. They've all openly wanted to help and support. They might not have understood, but they were there for me. So I've been very lucky, but recently we went and did a talk at a Sikh festival. We did. About a hundred people there. Yeah, so it's a Sikh women's festival. So part of my local temple, which is the Southall Ramgriya Gudwara in Southall, they invited us over and they did a fundraiser for us, which was lovely, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. Really lovely. Really friendly ladies. And I think that we both did a talk and at the end, the biggest thing that you asked was, is there anybody here that can put their hands up to say that they have a child or know somebody on the spectrum, not a single person, put their hand up. But when we finished, we were both, wow. People wanted after us. And crying. And crying saying, oh my God. Thank you for sharing. Exactly. Or my child has autism. Or my cousin has autism. All of these people, but they couldn't say it out in the open. They were worried about the stigma. There is a lot of stigma and you know, it's hidden. These children, you don't see them out in the open. And that's something that we at Anacendi Online, we want to change. We want to support them and show them that it's nothing to hide. And there is support out there. And it is about community. If we all get together, if you're supporting these families, their lives become easier. I mean, like the Tomley Center that we were talking about, as soon as we took away that anxiety, or any of the stigma behind it, the anxiety lowered for our children and they were able to function out in society. But as soon as you feel anxious, say the mother feels anxious because we have this bond with our child, when I feel anxious, Taran feels it. My God, do you see, I'll see something fly across the room because he's feeling my anxiety. Our children are very, very sensitive. But if you remove that and the community is supporting families, I think life would be so much easier for a lot of people. But at the moment, we've got a lot of work to do. Yeah, talking about anxiety. Obviously, my sons, both my sons, Patrick and Andrew are now 29 and 25 now. And Angelo's got minimal verbal skills. But he knows when I'm not feeling well. He'll just come up to me and stroke the side of my cheek. If I've got like a headache or... Or at least you get a stroke. I get something thrown at me. And Angelo's going through a bit of a tough time at the moment. And again, trying to get appointments, trying to see a GP. He needs to have a scan. We're waiting such a long time and he's in pain. And it's just so frustrating that you've got to wait and you've got to like justify trying to get an early appointment. And for example, like when I take Angelo to the GP, I can't take it when it's so busy. I'd have to ask for an appointment at the beginning of surgery hours or an appointment at the end of surgery hours. It's the same one for the scan and he'd want at the beginning, one at the end. Well, my son's never been to the doctors. I mean, he's 16. Luckily, he's pretty healthy. But the last time he went to see a doctor was when he was four. Simply because I can't get him through the door. It's just too much for him. And he knows because he was so, he was poked and prodded as a child. So he's developed this sort of anxiety about anything that looks like a hospital. But now, given the right support at the school that he's in now, he's actually managed to get a doctor's appointment and got a full MOT basically and found that he's okay. But that's not always the case. It isn't. And even like dentists, that's another big subject for our children. So Angelo, they can't just do work on him. He has to be put to sleep if he needs a filling or he needs a tooth removed or whatever. So we actually have to go all the way to Guy's Hospital. And I got the school to put a social story together for the dentist and for Angelo. And the dentist had never seen anything like that before and it was a special needs, obviously, appointment that we had. And she was really, she said, can I have that story? I said, of course. I said, just take Angelo's name from it. It's funny, isn't it? We take these things for granted. Social stories are the first thing you do. You get your child used to it. They read it. But the thought that a special needs hospital didn't know about social stories is very worrying. And it's not social stories work for everyone. You've got to find what works for your child and what your adult that can cope with. So it could be a social story. It could be listening to something on an iPod. You just got to think out the box and think what's going to work for our sons. So I asked parents what they would like for their child once they'd been diagnosed. And this is what sort of came out for them. And I just wanted to learn. So basically what they said, they wanted to have successful learners who enjoy learning, making progress and achieve, confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives, responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to our society, like Patrick said that he wants to do. Anxiety free was like top of the list. It is the top thing. It is. The anxiety levels in our children can like overwhelm them for everything that they do because it's like the mean. I think if I could remove that one element from Taran, the anxiety, I think I wouldn't have any issues. I think he would be able to learn more. He'd be happier. He'd be more engaging. But that one thing, that one anxiety stops him from making friends, stops him from going out, stops him from getting involved. And in fact, sometimes it stops him from doing the things that he loves the most. So for him, going to see his grandparents is the most wonderful thing. It's the number one thing. A little stress. Absolutely. But the anxiety builds up. I'm going to see my grandparents. I'm going to see my grandma. And then it builds up, builds up, builds up and then bang. He doesn't go, I can't get him in the car or whatever. So they can come to him. Absolutely. So we work up because we know. So we work a way of doing it, work out a way of doing it so that it's not stressful. But we have been through times where it just, you know, you learn not to build it up. Yeah. And, you know, you learn again, like you're saying, every child's an individual, you learn what's right for your child and put that in place. Yeah. I know that on the list was happy and safe. Absolutely. Everything taught that's relevant and meaningful for them. Just like not taught for the sake of it. And trust was another big issue. Our children and a lot of the children that come to Hillingdom Manor School, trust was like a huge issue. And that was because they were being bullied in the setting that they're in. So whether it was at school, whether it was in the community, whether it was online, there's more and more online bullying that's going on. So there's a lot for our children and adults to contend with, if you like. And they've got to sort of build up strategies really to help them. So if you met a parent and they just got a diagnosis, what advice would you give to them? So all the years experience that you've had, what would you say to them? I think give them time, allow them to explain what they want because every family, everyone wants something different. And, you know, when you've just been diagnosed, had that diagnosis, to be honest, I didn't know what I wanted. And I think I just wanted people around me who were just there and accepting and willing to give me time and give me space and perhaps help me do some research, help me find out what sort of information. Because when I got that diagnosis, there was nothing. I didn't know what to do, where to turn. It was like, you know, a hole had been dug and I had just fallen straight through. But the fact that my parents and sort of everyone around, you know, sort of my husband and myself were so amazingly supportive. They gave us that love that we needed to say, don't worry, you're not on your own. It's not just you, we're all in this together because Taran might be your son, but he's our grandson, he's our nephew, he's our cousin. And, you know, so they gave us that support to be able to do what we do. And I don't think I would be here sitting with you now if they hadn't done that for me. So I think give people that space and perhaps educate yourself as well and learn more about autism. Come to something like The Expo, even if you might not have a child yourself who has autism. Learn about it. I would say take one day at a time. Don't beat yourself up and just fight for the rights of your child because if you don't do it, no one else is going to do it for you. So we're going to be finishing our first live radio show on women's radio station. So really excited that our first one is over. I've got so many speakers right up till March so far that want to come. If you're interested in coming, just to speak on the radio station, please contact Anna Kennedy online. So that's www.annakennedyonline.com. You might like to ring the office, which is 01895-540-187. So this is women's radio station talking all things autism, voice of women worldwide, and it's Anna Kennedy signing off. Goodbye now. Bye. Welcome to women's radio station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about two to three kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's radio station, we want to hear from you. This is women's radio station. You're listening to AgriL Prize with Kitchen Sink spirituality. It's Anna Kennedy talking all things autism and my guest today is Karen Young. I listen to women's radio station. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Valentina Barraci, and I'm the executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth and mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website at mediamattersforwomen.org. Women's radio station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programs. Email presenters at womensradiostation.com. If there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favorite presenter, do get in touch. WRS, women's radio station, voice of women worldwide. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntotus.org.uk. Let me tell you about German Street Theatre. This is a secret theatre in the heart of the West End, once found, never forgotten. This is where careers ignite, where playwrights take risks, where great actors perform just feet away from the audience. This is where magic happens. We would love you to join our mailing list or become a sponsor or just buy a ticket to one of our shows. The website is www.germondstreettheatre.co.uk. Women's radio station is a not-for-profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every living will help.