All Things Autism – Sarah Bell, Autism Act

Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We're talking all things autism and we're live in my lounge at home. We're still not in the studio because we're still on lockdown and yes, we're still keeping going. We're staying safe and we're staying strong and I'm so pleased to say that we can now go out at least 3 times a day, they're saying. So I was just going to read this bit of news to you. So families of children with autism and learning disabilities have forced the UK government into a U-turn over its limit on outdoor exercise. People with autism and learning disabilities can now go out for exercise 3 times a day and travel beyond their local area. The government changed its guidance on outdoor exercise after 2 families threatened court action over the 1 trip out a day limit. So one of the unidentified families said that they were taking their child to a quiet location not local to them. They said the reason was that the destination suited their needs better and cut the risks of infection. And I am so pleased that this is, um, now allowed because Angelo, my youngest son, who's, um, quite profoundly affected with autism and has got a sensory processing condition, needs to have his walks. He needs to have that routine because we were driving to certain parks as well 'Cause now they're saying that the local authorities need to open up their parks. They were closed and it was getting very frustrating and Angelo was getting frustrated. So I'm pleased to say that now we can walk in parks. We just went to our local one a couple of days ago and I could see Angelo's face light up because it was a familiar destination. We were doing what we normally do and it's a great stress buster and also very good for our mental health. And well-being. So my guest today is Sarah Bell, and Sarah is from Autism Act. Hello, Sarah. Hello, Anna. It's really lovely to be on the show with you today. Thank you so much. I'm sorry I can't see you because normally I would be sitting next to you, but we're, uh, we're obviously doing it via Skype. And, um, I think the last time I saw you was January, was it? I think at Gateway Radio with Aston, one of my ambassadors. It was, it was the second week of January, um, and I'd been running my business then for less than a week, right? And I was super excited to be making a radio appearance. And of course, obviously delighted to be back, um, here with you again today. Different radio station, but, um, still the same. So good, isn't he, on the radio? Oh, he's amazing. You can see him in that zone, yeah, um, really carrying out everything to, you know, to a T of what he needs to do in that job as a radio presenter. I was so impressed with him. It was a brilliant experience all round. Yeah, so for people listening in, if you don't know who Aston is, Aston is one of my ambassadors. He's autistic and he says he's proud to be autistic, and why not? Absolutely. He's been one of my ambassadors for the last couple of years and he's an amazing radio presenter on Gateway Radio. Obviously finding it difficult at the moment because he's not able to do what he does, 5 mornings a week because obviously the radio station, um, they can't go into the station or anything like that because it's a community radio. But I'm sure we'll be back to normal, whatever that's going to be, very soon. Let's hope so. So for people listening in, Sarah, before we go into your business, before we talk about anything like that, who is Sarah Bell? Where were you born? Ah, well, I was born in, um, in Kent actually. I was born in Maidstone, which is the county town of Kent, and actually a very beautiful town. And lived most of my life, um, there with my mum and my, my dad and my brother Matthew, and had a very happy childhood. I was very involved in, um, the Scouts, and I used to be a cub leader and etc. So I've always had an interest in working with, um, you know, with children. Yeah. Um, right from early on, really. So, um, yeah, it's, um, I then went to, uh, university to train to be a teacher. So that's what you wanted to do when you was a child, you wanted to be a teacher? Oh, I always wanted to be a teacher, you know, I used to line up my teddy bears and take the register, etc., when I was about 7. And I never actually, I mean it seems crazy now, but never actually thought I was good enough to go to university and be a teacher. So I kind of had a few years out when I left school and worked in an office and thought, no, this definitely is not for me. Okay. And then decided at the age of 21 to go to university. I'd met my boyfriend at the time the year before, Adrian, and I'd said, I don't want anything serious because I'm going to university. And then in 2 days' time we celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. So there you go. You know, that worked well, didn't it? So I went to, I went to university in Devon. I was at Exmouth campus, Royal College, and I did what was a 4-year degree back then, a Bachelor of Education, which, which I passed. Okay. And, and then I began teaching in 1994, mainstream school, mainstream primary, and really that was my career for, well, it has been my career since 1994 in one way or another. Another. Okay, so, uh, so yeah, so now I live obviously, you know, husband, we've been married nearly 25 years, and I've got 2 children of my own. Um, I've got Reg who is at university, he's nearly 22, and I've got Rosie who is nearly 19 and she is doing an apprenticeship. Wow, so they're all grown up now then. They are, but we're all at home, so the food bill has shot up because there's 4 adults now and a dog. So, uh, you know One of those things, I suppose. So tell me about why you decided you wanted to work with children on the autism spectrum. Can you remember the first child you ever worked with as well that was autistic? Well, I mean, I can now that I look back, but actually at the time, I, you know, I didn't know that that child was autistic, right? Because it, you know, when I first, first started teaching in 1994, um, I'd done a 4-year degree, as I said. I think I had one afternoon about special needs. You know, that's not a lot to get you, um, get you prepared for being in a classroom. So I know now I look back, I've taught plenty of children who are autistic, but at the time I didn't know that that's what, you know, that's what I was dealing with, if you like. Um, so yeah, it's, um, now when I look back at those, at those children, I think, what would I have done differently? Yeah, I would have done a lot differently because I didn't have the knowledge at the time. Um, you know, I came out really, you know, despite a 4-year degree, really quite inexperienced in that, in that area. But as my career went on, I, I kind of left to have a maternity leave with Reggie, right? And I came back to the part-time special needs coordinator job. You know, I was just coming back from maternity. It was a nice little part-time job. Would you like this role, Sarah? So Obviously I said yes because I wanted a job, but it's a role that I kept coming back to across my teaching career. I've been a SENCO 4 times. You know, there's something about that role that once it grips you, you can't move away from it. It's quite a lonely position in a school. I think if any SENCOs are listening, um, they'll agree that it's quite a lonely job in a school because one, you're the only one, and two, nobody really quite understands what it is that you're trying to achieve, you know, because everybody's focused on the 30 children they have in their class and doing the best for them, and you are focused on those few that need something different. So for people listening in, they might like to be a SENCO. Is this something specific that you have to train in to be a SENCO? Yeah, I mean, you do now. When I first became a SENCO, it was just, you know, it tended to be the person that was working part-time, sad to say, but obviously, you know, over 20 years ago. But now you have to be— every school has to have an accredited SENCO, right? So you have to have, um, you have to have completed the course and get that accreditation to to be a SENCO. And how long is it? It's a year. It's a year that you do it alongside your job, and every local authority should be running opportunities for SENCOs to do that. I mean, I did mine about 8, 9 years ago now, although I'd done the job for a long time, you know, without the qualification. Yeah. But it does put you in contact with other people trying to do the job the same as you, which is networking. So would you say it was a good course? So you're doing it for a year. Would you say is enough information there? Is there enough meat in there for you to be able to deal with all different disabilities? Well, I mean, in a year, I mean, quite honestly, you can't cover every— yeah, you know, everything. But it does give you a taste of what a SENCO is like. And you've got to remember, as the SENCO job, you are a manager, you are a strategic lead within your school. So it's not you necessarily that's carrying out the work with children with disabilities, but do you know who to contact? Do you know what services are out there? Do you know how to get support for families and for teachers in order to be able to support the children? So yeah, I mean, I, I really enjoyed my course. I got a lot from it, and you know, it's another thing I can say I've done. You know, I'm an accredited SENCO as well as, as other things I've done in my career. So tell me a little bit about your journey then on setting up Autism Act. Why did you set it up? Um, and obviously it's been going since January, so why did you set it up? Yeah, what does it— what do you actually do? So I was, um, I kind of left, uh, mainstream teaching about 6 years ago to take on a job within the local authority as a specialist teacher for autism and social communication. Okay. So I saw the job advertised. My specialist teacher, Roz— give Roz a little mention— used to come into my school and give me advice on autism within my school. There was a job going on the team and I thought, I really fancy that. So I went for the job and I got the job and I really enjoyed it. It was— it kind of took over my life, you know, and even my husband says now he knows more about autism than he thought he'd ever know, just because of me doing the job I'm doing. And then unfortunately, a year ago, like a lot of local authorities, there was a redesign in the SEND services and I was made redundant. Okay, so for people listening in, if they don't know what SEND is, it's Special Educational Needs Disability. So were there a lot of children within the mainstream school that you were in that were diagnosed, and probably some that were there, I'd imagine, that were undiagnosed? I mean, I was a part of a team of specialist teachers working in the south of Essex. There were 6 of us, and I had at one point 95 children on my personal caseload. So I was supporting schools with 95, you know, 95 children. Obviously some schools had a number of children. Yeah. Some schools only had one child. But yeah, so there was a redesign of how the support was going to look within the local authority, and as a result result of that, I was made redundant. I mean, I, you know, I'm not going to beat around the bush, I was devastated because I completely loved my job and what I was doing. And I'd earned a master's degree as, as part of the, the job offer, which I'd, I'd passed. And I never thought I would at 50, but you know, never say never, and I did. Um, and, um, I thought, gosh, what do I do now? I've been made redundant. What do I do now with all this knowledge, all these relationships that I've built up with, you know, nearly 30 schools in my area? What do I do with all of that? And what happened to the 94 kids that you were looking after? Well, I, you know, obviously I'd done a lot of work with schools and so lots of training I was a registered trainer for the Autism Education Trust, which was an amazing experience, since 2015. So I had actually put a lot of input into schools, along with my colleagues. They'd all put lots of input into their schools. So a lot of schools were in the position where they had already had autism training and already had advice from me. And the new model is looking at how schools support each other, which, you know, has a lot of validity to it because, you know, schools are the ones that are living it, you know, every day. Yeah. And can teach other schools lots of things. But I just felt that there was going to be a bit of a gap. Yeah. And I thought I needed to use everything that I've been taught, everything that I'm doing, to really carry on with, with a service that was no longer available in the same way. So that led me to Autism Act. It was a very difficult decision to make. Yeah. Um, because you want— who so said to you, come on, let's set up your— why don't you set up your company? Or was it something you thought of yourself? Yeah, it was me. It probably took me the 6— I found out I'd been made redundant at the end of the summer term in the July, right? And it probably took me the 6 weeks holiday to wrangle with my own confidence, if you like. And luckily I have lots of supportive friends and family who, you know, said, you know, go for it. Yeah, go for it. What can happen? COVID happened. But anyway, that's another question. But yeah, I just feel that I'd got— I'd learned too much to go into something different. Yes, I could go back into class teaching, and you know, I loved being a teacher, but I kind of have too much knowledge now, too much specialist knowledge to I may have been made redundant, but my knowledge is not redundant, um, and, and it can still be put to good use. And, you know, that's really spurred me on to— yeah, well, you're about to get to all these facts for families, um, and obviously for schools. So tell me about Autism Act. Tell me what, what, what is it that you do and what do you offer? Well, I chose the name Autism Act. I'll just tell you this, Anna, because, um, it has got some significance. Okay, so I chose Autism Act as a name for, for a couple of reasons. One, it tells everybody what it is. It's in your face and, you know, there's no beating around the bush what it is. Secondly, I made a decision on the name of Autism Act kind of 10 years from the 2009 Autism Act from the government, which laid out the strategy for adults who are autistic and what society should be doing, etc. So that was the kind of significance. And then ACT itself, A-C-T, is standing for Advice, Consultancy and Training. And that is really what, you know, what I am about. So I'm about giving advice. There's a range of kind of free advice that people can get on my Facebook page. Okay. So my Facebook page is Autism Act. Okay. Um, capital A for Autism and capital ACT for Act. So if you just type that into the Finder, they can find you there. And if they find you— Absolutely. Okay. All right then. Um, and that's— I've now got 608 followers. Brilliant. Which I keep envisaging all those people sitting in a hall together, and it makes me have this real level of responsibility that I need to be providing a service for all of these people. Yeah. So yeah, so advice— I give out lots of free advice on the, on the page. I share things like there's a government guidelines that's come out today about homeschooling for children, special needs bit in there. So I'd, I'd, you know, I'd share that. I share some of your things as well, you'll be happy to know. Thank you. And, um, you know, it's the things that kind of Autism Education, Autism Education Trust, and National Autistic Society, you know. I also post pictures of visuals and things so people can think about how they can to support a child with by having a visual structure in place. You know, all that type of thing is on my Facebook page. We get messages like from parents going, help! Yes, oh, kids, and we haven't got a clue where to start. Yes, absolutely. And also some schools, so schools that are sending homework for children who contacted me and have said, I know this work I'm sending out is not right for this child, please can I have a consultation about what I can send? Okay, so in, in that instance, I was able to, um, have a Zoom call with that person. I've just got into Zoom now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I did a Zoom call with that person. I actually already knew the school and the child, so that was very helpful. Um, and then we talked about what they did want to send, what development mental stage that child was at on certain things. I then went away and made some resources to suit that child, a social story about, you know, why we needed to be at home and not at school because I knew the child— What sort of things did you put in the social story? Oh, it's about, you know, school is, you know, school is closed and why school is closed. 'Because school is closed, it means we need to be at home.' You know, 'This is the safe place for me to be. It's okay that I'm at home. It's okay the school is closed.' You know, all those type of things. There's lots and lots of social stories out there around COVID and the isolation time, etc. And then I sent all of that to the school, um, so they've got something that they could then send home for that child to be doing that met their needs more. So that was nice because it made me feel useful, for one, but also I knew that I was meeting, you know, not just the child's need but actually the need of their adult. Yeah. And I think that's the, the advice and the consultancy and the training that I do. Yeah, it's very much aimed at those people who are supporting the child. Okay. Um, that's really what Autism Act is about. How can I make those adults autism aware? How can I raise their confidence? How can I raise their knowledge? And how can they then feel empowered to go off and do something? Um, and that's really who Autism Act is aimed at. Yeah, so obviously when I first met you, it'd only been open for a week. Yes. And now because of COVID things have had to change. So are you having to adapt your business in a way? Oh, my business is now completely different. Okay. To what I'd planned for it to be. So what was the plan and how is it different? Well, yeah, so the plan was that I would use all the knowledge and everything that I'd gained. I'm heavily influenced by the Autism Education Trust. Which I think is amazing. Their training is, is fantastic. Um, so I was, um, using all of my knowledge to go— still go into schools. Yeah, with that, the parent and the school both saying, yes, we want you to do this piece of work, go in, observe a child, um, over a long period. So, well, in a day So I'd be looking at a lesson, then I'd be looking at break time, then I'd be looking at lunchtime, then I'd be looking at coming in after lunch. I'd be making notes, I'd be looking at paperwork— education, health and care plan, for example. So you just love them? Well, because I've actually been involved in writing lots of those, they don't seem quite so bad. You can, you know, once you kind of get the gist of it, you can unpick it, you know, sort of reasonably. Reasonably well. I think that's again another unique position that I come from. Um, so yeah, I'd go in, I'd see the child, I'd talk to staff, I'd then feedback to staff, and then the parent would come in and I'd feedback to parent and, and school together to say, I've seen this, I think this could work, this needs tweaking, I wouldn't bother doing that, you know, where are we going in the future, what's their next step. And do all that kind of thing. Obviously I can't do any of that anymore. No. And, you know, I have to confess, I absolutely love a school visit. It's my bread and butter. It's what I've been doing since '94, is working in school. So if someone's listening in, and could you, without obviously giving the name of the boy or the girl, could you just talk through— because obviously you've just shared what you'd be looking at— but could you talk through something a situation where you were called in and then what was the outcome? Yeah, so quite often I think, you know, we're looking at a lot of younger children, so children that are coming in and they're in reception or Year 1 and finding it quite difficult to follow an adult agenda, for example. Right. You know, Ed, the neurotypical child comes into school school-ready school-ready developmental ages, can sit, can listen, can look, know who's in charge, um, you know, is starting to share, etc., etc. Um, a lot of our autistic children are coming in at a different developmental level, and we can't assume that they can do those things that we expect young children to do because they're school-ready, right? So I've had quite a lot of reception and Year 1 visits where I would see that, you know, the staff were finding it difficult to get the child to be able to do things on the school's agenda rather than on their own agenda. Does that lack of training? I think that is lack of training to a certain degree. I think it's a lack of understanding, not through the fault of staff, they're just not taught this. Yeah. Um, You know, and there are particular techniques that we are going to use for an autistic child in order to, you know, to get them to work to somebody else's agenda. So have they got visual supports in place? Are they looking at using a first and then or a now and next board where we say, first you do this for me, basically, then you get the opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do for a few minutes? So, you know, first, oh, I don't know, counting. First counting, then trains. So we're giving the child some sort of motivator. Yeah, absolutely, giving a motivator. But how do we do that in, you know, in the classroom? So looking at visual supports that people have got in place, also looking at things like, you know, a TEACCH-style workstation and helping schools get one of those in place. For people listening in who don't know what TEACCH is, can you just explain a little bit? Yes, so TEACCH is a strategy that's been around really since the '70s actually, and it looks, I mean, it looks at children being able to work independently because I think that's one of the other things that we find in mainstream is that our children are heavily supported in order to carry out the agenda that a mainstream school asks for. So actually, and then children become very reliant on adults, um, to be that, as the Autism Education Trust says, that cultural interpreter for everything that's going on, which we don't want our children to be that dependent on an adult. Yeah, you know, a lot of children in mainstream school can be taught to be, you know, have a level of independence and be supported by other people, not just that one person that goes all the way from reception to Year 6. Yeah, then they become too dependent. Absolutely, absolutely. So the TeachStyle workstation looks at little packets of, um, um, of activities that are very low demand, that are motivating, that are short, that are interesting to the child, and the child is taught to follow a very short visual timetable that relates to the packets of activities. The child will take the packet, the first packet, do the activity that's in it, whether it be a puzzle or a matching game or putting pom-poms in a drinks bottle. You know, it doesn't have to be— we're not looking at an educational experience, we're looking at an independent experience. Yeah. Um, and then when they finish the activity, they put it back in the plastic packet and it goes in the out tray. And the child is, is taught to carry out that little bit of independent learning or independent activity. So I help schools, um, you know, put those type of things in place. And another thing that, um, I can't train people because I'm not a qualified trainer, but I can support people who have had training, and that is Gina Davis, um, Attention Autism, which I absolutely love. I, I had training on that myself and it changed my life. It's so wonderful. So, you know, I can help people sort of tweak their sessions that they're doing and, and understand why they're doing it. You know, schools need to understand, and parents, anybody supporting, why am I having to make the changes for this child? Yeah, why do I have to make a reasonable adjustment? Why does this child need something different to what the other children need in order for them to succeed. Yeah. And I think that's a really important message to, you know, to get across. I've gone completely off topic, Anna, which I do all the time. It's fine, it's all useful information. I'm just reading that 58% of autistic children said that teachers understanding autism is the single thing that would make school better for them. Would Would you say that teachers are quite receptive when you go into the schools, or do you get it, 'Oh, I know what to do,' or is it that, are they really taking on board what you're saying? I mean, I think it's a bit of a mixture because, only because, uh, you know, we're all personalities, aren't we? We're all different personalities. It's not necessarily to do with wanting to take on new, um, information about autism. It's that person's personality. Um, and, and, um, but generally, um you know, have a really good response because most people, the vast majority of people in schools, want to do the best they can for that child. But actually, without training, yeah, um, without that little bit of input, um, how, how can they do that? So I do usually get a good response. I think one of those reasons is because I have a long career in mainstream education, and I think, um, So people in schools find me relatable because they know I've done it myself, which we never want somebody coming in who's never really done what we're asking them to do. You know, you do that, but oh, by the way, I've never done this before myself. Yeah. Um, you know, people, people generally want to learn, and, and sometimes people get on to the notion of of, you know, what autism is really quickly. Some people take a few more sessions, but, you know, I think sometimes it can blow your minds a little bit, can't it? Yeah. Um, and, um, yeah, you know, that's really what I'm— what, you know, one thing that I'm aiming to do is to help those people feel that they, they can actually do this, because you can. So on your Autism Act, um, website, you have a blog. So what type of things do you blog about and how often? Well, I did start off really, really keen, and I blogged a lot because it was new and refreshing, and then the actual, the business itself took over, right? And I wasn't blogging quite so much. I try to do, I try to blog like once a week, tends to be a Monday, but I've been a bit unwell myself recently, so I have missed a couple of weeks, but I have blogged today. Okay. And you know, today's blog is that, you know, because COVID-19 is not going to stop me from delivering a service. So I am talking about, you know, what's still available from Autism Act, really. Okay, so how are you getting questions about COVID As in, can you help me explain it to my son or my daughter? Or can you help me explain it to pupils from our school? Or what sort of questions are you getting related to COVID? I mean, a lot of the questions are mainly people panicking, right? It's the unknown, isn't it? Absolutely. And, you know, if you have, like yourself, Anna, a child who is very routine-led, yeah, and then their routine, it turns on a sixpence, which it has, because we had kind of only— schools actually only had a few days to organise themselves. You know, I think people panicked. I think people felt that they'd got to be doing— delivering a homeschool. I try not to use the phrase homeschool. I try to use the phrase learning from home or doing some home learning, because nobody is expecting you to be a teacher if you are a parent. I know. I think that's what they think they have to be, like, be— yeah, yeah. And it's about being safe. It's about creating good memories if you can, for me, because obviously we're in a difficult situation here. It is unprecedented. We've never been through something like this before, and I think you've got to try somehow to create some good memories as well for the children, depending obviously their level of— Yeah, and I also think, Anna, it's about keeping that anxiety low. Yeah, and it's a bit— to us so much. Absolutely. So your anxiety as a parent and your child's anxiety, you know, if, if, um, you know, having a timetable that's got like, you know, 4 academic experiences on it— I am not advocating that at all, I'll just let you know— then actually that's going to cause anxiety and panic for everybody. Yeah. You know, if you had one quality learning experience that was based around something that your child really liked. Yeah, actually, that is going to be much more valuable because if— when we feel threatened, you know, this is for everybody, but obviously for our children who are autistic are experiencing this on a daily basis, you know, when we feel threatened, we go into that fight, flight, and freeze response. And then actually we're not able to do anything. So keep the anxiety low, keep the demand low. You know, nobody is assessing you and your child on what you're doing in this time. Keep routine, keep anxiety low, work to your child's strengths, get some sensory experiences in there. I've actually had— I posted on my Facebook page a really nice, um, chalked out on someone's driveway, a sensory, um, a little sensory circuit, shared it on my Facebook page. And then somebody who I know quite well, whose daughter, um, is autistic, um, actually sent me a little private video of her daughter doing the, um, the one that they'd done in chalk on their own driveway. Oh, this is, this is what we're aiming for. You know, some children that are basically with their chalks, they're colouring in the bricks of the house. Yeah, I mean, and even that itself is a great sensory experience. But, you know, if you're drawing a circle and it says twirl, and then you're drawing some dots and they say hop, and your child is following that, you know, they're following a little sensory circuit to, you know, keep that sensory processing at a regulated level. So schools, um, obviously some teachers that I've spoken to have been quite aware of what sensory difficulties and how it can overwhelm a child. So what sort of things do you talk about with people who are caring or teaching children to explain how the sensory overload can be so overwhelming for the child? So what sort of things do you say to teachers to try and help them understand? I mean, sensory processing is one of the four key areas of difference as noted by the Autism Education Trust. So there are four key areas of differences: social understanding, communication, information processing, and sensory processing. So if you have a child in your class who is autistic, they are going to have some sensory needs. And I always recommend that people do observation first. Okay. Because observation— I do that. How would they do that? Observation is the cheapest thing in your toolkit. You only need yourself and your eyes, and you can take 2 minutes to watch a child. So, you know, when they come in after break, for example, do they come in and sit straight down, or do they engage in a bit of pacing about? Do they engage in a bit of flapping? Do they engage in— maybe they do a twirl before they sit down. I've seen everything, because I'm sure as I'm sure you have. Actually, that's, that is an indication that child, you know, from a sensory point of view, is trying to regulate themselves. And the other thing is sometimes the chairs make a lot of noise when they're going to sit back down, so it's that scraping noise. There is, I mean, and every child has their own unique profile within those 4 key areas anyway, but every child has their own sensory profile, so they can be hypersensitive and be oversensitive sensitive to information, or they can be hypersensitive, not get enough, and go and seek that information. Yeah, really it's about talking through teachers with that. Okay, I've got— there's a great book which, um, I— it's kind of— mine is falling apart, I've used it so much. It's by Carina Laurie, and it's— again, I didn't quite get that. Uh, Carina Laurie, right? And it's, it's Sensory Strategies. It's a National Autistic Society publication, right? It goes through every area of sensory processing, so looking at, um, how sight, um, hearing, taste, touch, smell is affected, but also how your balance is affected and how your body awareness, where your body is in space and time, how those 7 things are are actually going to be affected by sensory processing differences. It goes through every sense and then it gives you some really amazing ideas and strategies, and you can use that whether you are a parent or whether you are in a school. I take it everywhere with me. It's probably one of the most useful books I think I've ever come across, actually. Okay, so, um, Sarah will be writing an article and it'll be put on our charity website, so anything she talks about, if you've missed it, what she said, she'll put some of those links, like for example the book that she's just recommended, or the Autism Education Trust. She'll be adding that into her article, so don't worry if you've missed some of what Sarah has said. And obviously her website and, um, the Facebook page. So, um, what I wanted to say was that I noticed that the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. They've got a great section on their website called Coronavirus and Helping Children with Autism. It's episode 4, Autism: A Parent's Guide, and it's with Dr. Anne— I'm sorry, I don't know how to pronounce this, but it looks like Osipa Dijan— and Dr. Mariana Murin. So basically, in the light of the current coronavirus pandemic, this is a special edition about helping children with autism during this time. Great upheaval in this edition of Autism: A Parent's Guide. Dr. Anne is joined by a special guest and interviewed by a freelance journalist. So there's lots of information on there, and then there's links as well. So if you're interested, just check it out. It's the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, ACAMH in capitals for short, and it's coronavirus. There's lots of information on there. So I just wanted to point that out because I saw that today. And there's podcasts as well on there, so that's a useful link. Do you have any recommendations of links, Sarah, that people might be able to look at that you think is really, really good? It doesn't have to be to do with COVID it can just be to do with autism, sensory processing, like you were talking about that particular book. Yeah, I mean, the COVID— on the COVID side of things, actually, the— what's— what the government have put out today There's a really good link on that which is for the community child— from the Community Child Health, which is Cardiff and Vale University. And the little document is called Supporting Children with Learning Disability and ASD: Coping with Isolation. I've shared that on my Facebook page today, actually. That's a really useful little document. It gives you ideas about keeping anxiety low, but it also gives you— They give us a couple of tips on anxiety on there that they've shared? Um, well, it's again about routine. It's about getting those visuals in place. It's about giving your child sensory, um, experiences as well. So all the things that we've kind of already advocating, um, you know, still be doing those things really to keep anxiety low. Okay, so you've got obviously a long background in mainstream education. Who else do you feel would benefit from your services? So we've spoken about obviously schools. What about outreach support? Yeah, I mean, really, I'd sort of say, you know, anybody who's interested, you know, Autism Act can help you to understand more. I think as we see more and more on the television, as you know, autism becoming actually part of mainstream telly, Yeah, um, you know, people are seeing autistic people, children, whether you're watching The Undateables or whether you're watching The A Word or whether you're watching, you know, The Autistic Gardener, all of those programs that have been on. I think it's back on soon, isn't it? Yeah, I saw that. I saw that series. Yeah, yes, love it. People don't like it. I know, it's a bit of a tricky one, isn't it? I think again we've got to put it in a mainstream way to try to let people have a bit of an idea as to what's going on. And then you're talking about autism, it's a bonus. If you're— what? Sorry, I said if people are talking about autism because of the program, it's a bonus. And I know people have said things like, oh, they wouldn't have got that assessment so quickly, or, oh, the social worker wouldn't have come to their house, you know, the next day, like things that they've put on there. And I totally get that, but you've got to think it's got people talking. So for me, that's a good thing. I think that's definitely right. And, and, you know, there is a generation of us whose first experience of seeing an autistic person on television was the film Rain Man. Yeah, I just recently watched that again. I saw that, I saw that on your Facebook page. Yeah. Um, you know, and I don't know if anybody has read, uh, Steve Silberman's, um, Neurotribes. Yeah, I met Steve. Oh, have you? Oh yeah, I was on the BBC Breakfast News with him, so I talk— I can't even remember what I was talking about now, but he was talking about his book. So he was sat next to me and he'd come all the way from America. And because when I was on, I just— I'm like, like, you know, I want to try and get out as much information as I can. And he just sat back and watched me, and then he just said to me, go, Mama, go! Oh, I think that book— oh, I'm so jealous. That book is absolutely amazing. It is. And, and I think actually, you know, as I say, for a lot of people, their image of an autistic person is Rain Man. But actually that's not the image of the children I see in mainstream schools. You know, so, you know, I think now there's more programs on the television, people are— it is becoming more of a mainstream idea, and people will be thinking, oh, actually I'd like to know a little bit more about that. So it's a shame it's been postponed, but this week I was due to deliver some training to local bus drivers. Oh wow. Yeah. So that was going to be part of their disability awareness training day, and I had an hour slot to, to talk about autism. Now, autistic people get on buses, funnily enough, you know, and, and the person driving the bus may not understand why that person gets flustered when they can't find their money, or, you know, etc., etc. So, you know, that's really important. I also think as well, organizations that are You know, looking at just Scouts and Guides and Boys Brigade, you know, etc., need training. And people working in a public service, you know, the person who takes your money at the swimming pool, you know, why should they not have autism training? You know, it's kind of so wide. And I think what I like to think is that the concepts I've put together, the training and the advice I've put together, is easy to understand. Nobody wants to be bogged down with, um, lots of, you know, long words and, you know, etc. This is easy-to-understand concepts. It helps you map out what autism actually means. Yeah, under those four differences. And, you know, it unlocks unlocks as well your understanding as a person. And if it changes one person's idea and that one person thinks, oh, actually I now understand why that person doesn't look at me when they talk to me. It's not because they're being rude, it's because actually from a sensory point of view it's too much to look at me and listen to me at the same time. Then I've changed one person's view. So complicated is that some people can look at you. Absolutely. So it's just like that, everyone's an individual and everyone's got different traits, so that's why I think sometimes for some people that's why it's a little bit more complicated to understand. And we've got some workshops as well that are coming up if people want to check out on our charity website www.annakenedyonline.com. So we have two autistic individuals that are going to be giving, uh, some webinars. So we've had a couple already with Paul Isaac who is our autistic consultant and also one of my ambassadors. And then Jo Luck, who's also one of our charity patrons and has been for almost— be about 6 or 7 years now. And she gave a workshop on Fighting with Lead Boots: Dual Diagnosis of ADHD and Autism. So you'll be able to see those links on the charity website very soon. So keep checking on our event page, you'll see what we're doing. Obviously we can't do Autism's Got Talent, which is really frustrating. We've got to cancel two events, but we're hoping we're going to be able to do the Autism Hero Awards, which is in November, which will be at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel. So if you know someone that goes the extra mile, you would like to nominate them, please check out the Autism Hero Awards section on Anna Kennedy Online under the events page. You'll see 12 different categories So check out the categories, and if you know someone that you would like to nominate and feel that they go the extra mile, they're your hero where autism's concerned, please send us in a 500-word bio with, um, some information about them, a picture if you can. And the closing date will be September. We will have 7 independent judges. That's definitely not me that's choosing them because It's so hard, we get so many. Last year the judges found it so difficult to choose 3 finalists for each category. I have 2 that I choose, and the 2 that I choose is the Special Recognition Award. And what I do is I look across the year at people who I feel that is going the extra mile, that are really, um, you know, supporting, raising awareness, acceptance, maybe autistic they may be a parent, they may be a professional. I will choose someone who I feel in my eyes for that year deserves the special recognition award, and then I choose a volunteer from within my charity that also gets an award. So again, please keep, keep checking the charity website. We're updating information all the time. It's on a weekly basis, and everyone is a volunteer in our charity. And we don't get any grants, so we are looking for people to donate. If you can kindly donate, every penny, every pound, it really matters to us. So please, please keep supporting our charity so we can do what we do. So I just wanted to ask, what do you do to relax, Sarah? What is it that you do that helps you relax, recharges your batteries? Well, I mean, I'm very lucky that, you know, I've got a very supportive family and friends. Actually, we've realised that the four of us being in lockdown for coming up for 4 weeks, we do actually like each other, which, you know, is quite handy really when you've got nowhere else to go. So I wonder how many— number one, how many babies are going to be born in 9 months' time? The other thing is How many do I— I'm 51, I'm not doing that again. And so yeah, I've got a lovely dog as well, so you know, I like to walk my dog, like to play with my dog out in the garden. That's always very relaxing. I think dogs are therapy actually. She's coming up 10 now, so she's been therapy for us all for the last 10 years. I like to listen to— I'm just really getting into audiobooks. Books at the moment. I think where I've had to do a lot of reading in the past for like master's degree and everything, it tends to put you off reading a little bit. So, um, I'm enjoying some audiobooks. I'm listening to The Tattooist of Auschwitz at the moment, which is rather, rather stirring book. And I'm a bit of a crime thriller, um, series person. So I'd, you know, I'm having a few little binge watches at the moment, which is probably bad for the waistline. But watch Netflix. Yes, I do watch Netflix. I didn't really get Netflix at first. It was my son that said, 'Mum, shall we get Netflix?' So I thought, 'Okay,' and we're totally addicted. Yeah, we are as well. We do like a little binge watch of, um, of a crime series or something like that. Um, yeah, spending time with my friends and my family. I've got some amazing, uh, some amazing friends. My best friend Jo, I'll give her a little mention, she's down in Somerset. Her, her dog's just puppies, so I'm keeping an update on the puppy date at the moment. And she's 50 on Friday, so happy birthday, Jo, on Friday. So yeah, you know, it's just about— I think it's about keeping it real at the moment. I think you kind of realize what is really important to you. Yeah, you know what I think is really lovely? Every Thursday at 8 o'clock when they do Clap for Carers Our road is very supportive. Everyone's got their pots and pans and banging away, and I'm not sure about the fireworks, but anyway, and then also whistling and what have you. So what is it like down your road? Do you go out at 8 o'clock and clap for the carers and NHS? It's been quite quiet. We live in a very little cul-de-sac, and where I haven't been particularly well, I've been clapping from the bedroom window instead of the front door. Yeah, just to do a little bit of picture, really. But we have a key worker next door but one, so when I go out I'm always clapping for her. Plus I've got a couple of friends that are working as key workers in hospitals as well, so they're always on my mind when I'm giving the clap and just in awe of everybody really who's doing their bit to keep us all safe. It's an amazing time. It does make you realise what is probably the most important things in your own life, plus also in the country as a whole. Yeah, I wonder what people take away from this after— I don't know when all this is going to end, but I wonder what people will take away from it. What would you— what will you take away from it? Well, I would take away the fact that I know I can diversify, which I think you can get very stuck in, in, in what you do and how you want to do it. You know, you can survive this. The, the, the, the being united with your family is really very important. Yeah. Um, and, um, making sure that— I just think that camaraderie between people. Yeah. You know, today I had a bit of bread pudding and some daffodils left on my doorstep from a friend of mine who, who missed my birthday last week. Week. So, you know, just little things like that. And I saw— so I knocked on the window and we had a quick wave, and it was, you know, just little gestures like that make such a difference. That message you get from somebody that says, oh, how are you today? Yeah, can make such a difference. Yeah, I think we're all like in our own little worlds, weren't we? Like, bit too busy doing this and that and the other. And like, I saw a video just recently about, um, saying how We are guests within this beautiful world, um, and it sort of made you think about how beautiful the world is, um, and even just sitting in the garden. Yeah, seeing how many flowers have come out since, you know, last week. I mean, you know, you kind of take those things for granted, but actually it's, it's there for us to admire and be part of, you know. Yeah. And, um, I'll tell you what I've noticed, Niamh, as well, listening out the window, like 5 o'clock in the morning, I can hear seagulls from like— I don't even and we're near the sea. And I'm thinking, am I hearing things? Why am I hearing seagulls close to the window? We quite often get seagulls here because we're not that far from Southend, and of course Southend seafront is kind of in lockdown too, so I think all the seagulls have come this way looking for, you know, the chips that they're not getting on Southend seafront at the moment. Oh, I went to St Ives, the seagulls there, they are the biggest things I've ever seen in my life. Oh! They're huge! Um, I wanted to mention, which I think has been amazing, is Captain Tom and how much money he has raised for the NHS. I can't even remember what the figure is now. It's about £22 million now or something. It was just— I mean, how amazing this, you know, he decided he wanted to raise £1,000. Yeah, doing 100 laps of his garden. And, and as we do in this country, I think we take a story like that, yeah, and we take it on, don't we? Because that seems to be the, you know, the crux of the British spirit, if you like. Yeah. And it's been amazing. In fact, I got to a point where I was only switching on the news just to, just to see how much Captain Tom had raised. And of course, now he's gonna have a number one single with one of my favorite singers, who is Michael Ball. It's just, I don't think he's realized what it is that he's done. I think he's just like, it's just that he's not— I don't know if he's overwhelmed by it or I don't know, it's just like taking it in his stride. But he's so humble, isn't he? Oh, he's, he's just, just a lovely— just comes across as a lovely guy, doesn't he? And then there's also that lady that I've seen who's walking up and down her stairs, which is the height of a, of a mountain. I haven't seen that one. What's that one about? Um, so she's 90, I think, and she's walking up and down the stairs to get to the same— the height as— I, I don't know what mountain it is, I have to confess. And she's raised like thousands and thousands of pounds as well, you know. So we need inspirational stories. I think it, it's easy to get bogged down in, um, you know, how you know, how awful this situation is. I would recommend is for people not to watch the news too much because it can get you quite down to see how many deaths there's been, and it's just like you can't even get your head around it. I think one thing that I saw was a chap that was coordinating the coffins going into the morgue, and it really hit me then. And I just thought, and that poor man's face, he's just had such a pained look on his face. I thought, I'm not going to keep watching the news, it's just too depressing. Yeah, we've been watching it in little bits. Yeah, of the last couple of weeks. And when they make an announcement at 5 o'clock on Sky News or whatever it is, just listen to, you know, what it is that they've got to say. Don't listen to all the questions that have been asked because half of them I'm thinking, where are they getting those questions from? But we're coming to the end of the program soon. That went very, very quickly. What I wanted to just for people, just to, if you just remind them of where where they can find you, and if you can just remind them about that book that you just were talking about, in case people have got a pen now. Yes, so the Sensory Strategies book, which is absolutely amazing, that is by Karina Laurie, L-A-U-R-I-E, and that's a National Autistic Society publication, and that's called Sensory Strategies. It's been updated, I think it's now called Sensory and Motor Strategies, Where can you get that? The National Artistic Society website? I mean, you probably can. I got mine from a well-known delivery company. Okay. Which everybody uses. Right. And so that's a really good book. If you want a really fantastic read about the history of autism, Steve Silverman's Neurotribes, an amazing book. And if you want to follow my Facebook page, which is really active, loads of free advice, etc., on there. That is Autism Act, capital A, capital A-C-T for ACT. If you want to email me, it's sarah@autismact.com. And if you want to follow my blog on the website or see what services I'm about, see what I look like and see what, you know, a little bit about me, and it's www.autismact.com. Com. Okay, thank you. And if people want to follow what I'm up to on social media, I'm always posting things about what I'm doing with Angelo or any information that I find or any resources. It's, um, @AnnaKennedy1 on Twitter, Anna Kennedy Online on Facebook, @AnnaKennedyOBE on Instagram, and it's www.annakeneddyonline.com. I want everyone please to stay stay safe, stay home, do your walking, whatever it is that you've got to do to get through your day, but please stay safe and just get through the days as best as you can. I know it's difficult, and I want to say thank you again so much to Sarah, and please look after yourself and keep doing what you're doing. I will, Anna. COVID-19 is not going to stop me from delivering a service. It might not be the one that I want, but it's— I'm doing the best I can in these times. And for you and everybody else to stay safe as well. And thanks for this opportunity. Thank you so much, everyone, and please look after yourselves. And I'd like to say goodbye, and I'll speak to you again very, very soon. Take care, everyone. Bye!