Hello, this is Anna Kennedy and we’re talking all things autism and we are promoting well being because we all need a little bit of well being with everything that’s going on in the world at the moment. So it’s very warm where I am and just wanted to share my son Angelo is on half term at the minute and because it’s so warm it’s quite hard to juggle work and to obviously take him out for walks and all the rest of it and when it’s warm Angelo finds it really really difficult. So I’m sure that you are aware that a lot of individuals are on the autism spectrum and react differently to sunlight.

It might be hard for some or it might not even cause any problems for others, but just a few tips that I thought that might work. So obviously water or plenty to drink and I know also Angelo likes to put a little bit of water in those spray things that he sprays arms and that he quite likes that to help him keep a little bit cooler. Some people like essential oils, so if you could tolerate or if your loved one can tolerate a makeup of cool smelling essential oils that can be inhaled from a tissue or a handkerchief.

So it could be peppermint, it could be eucalyptus and tea tree. They’re all great ideas to help you clean your head and to cool down. The other thing obviously is clothing.

Some people like to wear long sleeves, some people like to wear short sleeves, some people like to wear no sleeves or no tops at all. Another thing that I know that works for Angelo is the baseball cap. So it helps with not having too much sunshine on the eyes and so protect your eyes and your head and obviously don’t forget your sunscreen.

And if you need to shut the daylight out as we do in our house, the blinds are down and the curtains are closed and it helps to keep the room as cool as possible. We had a fantastic ACO Autism Expo at Bruno University where we had wonderful speakers. We had Cary Grant.

We had Ben Pearson who’s one of my ambassadors and also was on Dragon’s Den. And we also had the amazing Alfonso Archer who was very creative in the music world. We had the experience of the Autism Reality Bus and there’s queues as always where parents are going into the bus to experience what it’s like to have a sensory overload and a few of them came out in tears as always.

And then also we had the free clinics where my husband Sean was giving free legal advice. We had SCN World as well, the special needs and mental health experts. Our Autism Ambassador Paul Isaacs was there.

And if you need to book a session with Paul, if you check on the charity website just to remind you www.annakennedyonline.com. You can book a 45 minute free Zoom session with him on Thursdays or Fridays. Just go onto the website. You’ll see the times available and you can have a chat with Paul.

And we also had the lovely Alessandra Besta that talks about the nono chocolates and functional foods. Just so much information. And we had Warren as well that came quite a long drive for him with his mom, but he loves golf and he’s trying to create an Autism Golf Centre.

And he’s also an ambassador for many, many organizations with reference to golf. He’s autistic. He’s amazing.

He’s a young man and he’s got lots and lots of vision. We also had the Incredible Kratoo. So if you weren’t able to get there, you can still get books online where Tess actually signed a lot of the books and the lovely Kratoo was there.

So he’s a happy-go-lucky rescue dog who changed his owner’s life. So the book is actually called Incredible Kratoo, spelled K-R-A-T-U. It was the People’s Pet 2020 Awards winner.

And as Tess always says to me, she doesn’t know who rescued who. Did Tess rescue Kratoo or did Kratoo rescue Tex? Please, please check it out. You can get it on Amazon.

And then the last things that I just wanted to say that all of the nominations are now closed for the Autism’s Got Talent that happens every year in October at the Mermaid Theatre. We’ll be making the announcement very, very soon of who has been chosen. It’s been so difficult.

We’ve had so many entries even this year from Indonesia, which is the first and also the Autism Hero Awards. We’ve got seven judges and they are going to have the tough, tough task of choosing three finalists for each of the ten categories. We have never had so many nominations.

I would not like to choose which three for each category that they are going to choose. But once we announce them, then they’re all going to travel down to London in November to celebrate. And then also the winner will be announced on the night.

And you can guarantee you will need tissues because it’s quite an emotional event and such a lovely event. And then at the end, everyone lets their hair down and has a dance or just, you know, does their own thing. So today I’m excited to talk to Tamsin Ji.

Now Tamsin set up a holiday home. And I’m going to be talking about that because it’s a bit of a topic of conversation in our house at the minute because we haven’t actually been on holiday as a family. I think it’s 18 or 20 years.

I can’t even remember how long it’s been. I always go separately either with Patrick and he often actually goes on his own now, which is fantastic. Or I go with my son, Angelo.

We always go to the same place in Great Aton, which is Blackthorn Gate Farm. It’s a lovely place where I’ve been going for years and it’s actually near to where my mum and dad and my sister live. But my husband, Sean, he’s not a big fan of holidays.

So we’ve decided this year we’re going to try and take the lovely Rosie, our little dog, on holiday. So yes, hello there, Tamsin. Hi there, Anna.

Hi there. Thank you so much for joining me today. So we’re going to chat a little bit about your holiday home and the journey that you’ve been on.

However, before we talk about the holiday home, before we talk about autism and about your journey, tell me a little bit about who is Tamsin. OK, so it’s hard because that question, you know, I was thinking about, if you asked me that question, how I would answer it, because you kind of shrink as a person a bit, don’t you, when you become a parent. But yes, a little bit about me.

I was born in London. I was the youngest of four children, some would say was the loudest voice. I was pretty unhappy at school until about the age of 16, 17, possibly because my parents were divorced and it wasn’t very common then, but also possibly because I was undiagnosed, neurodivergent myself.

So, yeah, it’s interesting that I started with quite a dislike of school and then became a secondary teacher myself before I had my children. I didn’t see that actually coming, but it surprised me going back to school, but I loved being an English teacher and really enjoyed teaching a whole variety of kids. I worked in various schools and really enjoyed it.

That all stopped quite suddenly when I had my first child, Henry, and I became a full-time carer for him and myself, my partner, David, we’ve got three children, including Henry. That’s a bit about me and a bit about my family. OK, so did you find, because you said you didn’t like school very much, and then when you went on to college, did you find it easier? I did.

I loved university. I actually went to Brunel University, which is really near to where you have your education. And I enjoyed it there and kind of met my tribe, I guess, met some really great friends, because I think you’ve got a bit more space to be yourself, haven’t you? The older you get.

So yeah, I had a different experience there, definitely, and I think I’ve started to really love education again when I went there. Oh, that’s nice. Yeah, because I’ve spoken to quite a few people that they just really didn’t like being at school when it was primary and secondary.

But once they went to college, I suppose you have a little bit more freedom and a bit less restricted. So you’re at Brunel, so that’s not far from where I live. I actually, my husband went to Brunel when we lived in Middlesbrough, so we met in Middlesbrough and then he got a place at Brunel University, so I followed him up.

So we actually lived on site for quite a while. Oh, right, brilliant. It was when it was, I think it was called Isambard Close then at the time, but that was a long time ago.

So yeah, we have our charity or some expo and they’ve got this new wing now called the Eastern Gateway. And it’s really, really lovely, and it just lends itself well for us to do our charity expo. And we’ve been there for a few years now, the lady that’s been helping us with the actual building itself and organizing it and all the rest of it.

Her son’s just recently been diagnosed with autism, which is weird, really, because when we first met her, her son wasn’t on the spectrum, but now he is. So you talked to me a little bit about your career. So can I ask, when you started teaching, did you start, let me rephrase that again.

When you started teaching, had you ever taught any children on the spectrum? Did you come across any children on the spectrum? Did you know what autism was at the time? Yeah, that’s a good question. And so this is, you know, over 10 years ago now, but I worked in a busy comprehensive school in London and there were definitely children with special education needs and disability, some diagnosed, some not. And my work with those children, it actually equipped me for my caring role.

I didn’t know it then, but it did. And it also gave me a real determination, a tenacity to find children’s strengths, to help them to achieve. Sometimes when others have given up hope, even the children themselves.

So, you know, I think it gave me a really, really fantastic grounding. And I loved teaching. I would say I was at the top of my career as a head of department when life threw me a curveball like it often does.

And my own child was diagnosed and then I became a full-time carer for him. OK, so how old is Henry now? So he’s 16 now. He’s a fully-fledged teenager.

He’ll be waking up in a clumpy mood teenager. No, he’s absolutely lovely. He’s autistic.

He’s got high support needs. He’s got a learning disability. There’s quite a list with Henry.

He’s got communication disorder, ADHD. He’s got tics and sensory difficulties and epilepsy. And that’s quite common.

I’ve realised on this journey that the autism can have these co-occurring conditions. He has many struggles, but he’s full of joy, too. He’s a fantastic young man.

So when was he diagnosed and how was the process for you? And was he diagnosed in London or where you are in Bath now? So he was diagnosed just before his second birthday. We had moved to Bristol by then and I was still working as a teacher. But I had a feeling, and also just as he was getting older, that he wasn’t developing typically.

And there were some issues and some difficulties and he was having some struggles. And I was, I guess, thrown in at a deep pump because this is a while ago now. This is quite a few years ago.

I had no family or close friends nearby because I’d moved to Bristol to be with my partner. I’d moved from my hometown. I had to learn everything about my son’s autism very quickly.

And I’ve spoken to a lot of other parent carers who’ve said the same thing. You really do jump in at the deep end. And there was no internet, really, as it is now.

No Facebook support group or anything. So I did feel quite adrift and I’m sure that he equally felt quite adrift. And it was a very tough time for both of us, really.

But I did try hard to find out everything I could to support him and help him grow. And it was a different path and it was scary, but it’s also been a fantastic journey as well. It’s been a real mixed bag of a journey, I would say.

Yeah, it sounds a bit like me that obviously I moved from Middlesbrough to London, so I didn’t know anyone up here. So you do feel quite lonely and you sort of don’t know who to speak to about it. And then you can talk to people, you know, friends or work colleagues.

But if they’re not going through the same experience as yourself, they really don’t get it. So did it take long for your son to be diagnosed? And now sort of 10 years, 12 years down the line, has it got any better, as in diagnosis wise? That’s an interesting question. And I think for my son, it was quite a quick process because the developmental markers just weren’t there.

The thing that I struggled with was, I guess, getting someone to listen initially, because I think when you’ve got a young baby, a young child, toddler, rightly so, I think professionals think, well, I don’t want to necessarily put pressure on the parents that their child should be doing a certain thing at a certain age. But I also think that it’s really important to listen to parents, and they usually wouldn’t say, wouldn’t identify an issue unless they really felt strongly there was one. I think with Henry, it was quite a quick process because, you know, he struggled with so many things.

I had to teach him to eat, he couldn’t chew properly, he couldn’t walk properly, he struggled and tripped over everything. I remember teaching him to jump on the trampoline, he couldn’t jump, we brought him a trampoline for his third birthday and he couldn’t jump. He struggled to communicate.

He now uses some signs and some vocalisations in an iPad talker, but he really, really struggled with that and continued to struggle with that. And the sleep issues, obviously, you know, there were so many areas that he needed help and support. And it was really hard to see him struggle so much with the simple thinking, you know, the enjoyable things that other people took for granted.

Yeah, the world was just not made for him. But, you know, I’m learning, I’m still learning that, you know, comparison a bit is the thief of joy. That’s one of my sayings.

I really think you’ve got to try and just go on your individual journey as a family, try not to compare too much. I guess that’s an important message for myself as well. I have to check in with that message.

It’s really important to just navigate your own journey, especially at home, really. Yeah, it’s because, as we know, all children and adults are different. So I think the thing with parents, if you’ve got a child that’s a poor sleeper, it can make the day harder, if you like.

So say, for example, now Angelo’s 13, he’s still with us and, you know, pleased to say that Patrick’s got his own flat now, but he still comes, you know, twice a week to stay over. But it’s just like, you know, it’s been so humid and Angelo’s always been a poor sleeper anyway. And it’s for me, the lack of sleep is the killer.

Yeah, I completely agree. And that’s the same for us. And obviously, you know, he’s a teenager now.

We’ve got that lack of sleep thing that’s going on, you know, week on, week out. And you do sometimes meet people and they say, how are you? And you’re like, do you want the long version? It’s absolutely shattered. Do you want that? Yeah, fine.

Yeah, and it really does take it to another level when you’re just completely exhausted. I completely agree, Anna. Yeah.

So do you miss going to work? I do. I miss teaching because I felt like it ended quite abruptly. And I definitely miss that dynamism that you get with work and speaking to other adults and just talking about projects and things that you’re working on.

But what I tried to do was put a lot of my energy when I finally had come to terms personally with my son’s diagnosis. And when I had found some support for him, I then tried to put my energies into helping others and advocacy and spreading the word about autism, particularly autism with high support needs. I tried to spread the word about that and try and support people through that journey.

Yeah, I think I’ve spoken to quite a few families and I’ve shared this before that when there’s programs on television or whatever, they tend to focus on the adults that are more articulate and parents who have children and adults with more high needs, like what you call them. They find it frustrating that they’re not shared on TV to showcase how difficult it can be for parents, the carers and the individuals themselves. So we’d like to see more programs just to share, just to say, look, this is how it is.

We need more support. And just recently in the media as well, and I’m sure this is at the back of your mind as well, is that we’re always worrying about who’s going to look after our sons and our daughters or loved ones that we’re no longer around. Yeah, it’s a constant worry and a constant feeling of heartache as well, because you want every parent wants the best for their children and obviously there’s the added complications when you have a child like my son Henry.

And I think, you know, it’s not only are you, I guess, physically exhausted, which we talked about, but you’re also emotionally exhausted as a parent carer when you’ve got all these conflicts and thoughts and issues and worries going on as well. And there’s the fight for services and support, which so many families have. So, you know, there’s so many layers to this journey, I think.

Yeah. So did you homeschool or did your son go to school? So Henry had had some homeschooling in the early days, but we also thought him to go to the local mainstream school where he was young. He went with his sisters and that was a really fantastic experience.

And he had such a wonderful time and it was worth the fight. And now he attends a sign of school, which he loves. But again, it’s that, you know, again, I’ve worked with a lot of parent carers over the years and it’s that constant.

There’s so many struggles, aren’t there on this journey, Anna? There’s so many fights and struggles. So how long is he staying at this dinoschool for? Right. So he says route is through sick form.

We’re just looking at other other options now. But we’re entering into the new world of adult care, adult services, which is obviously whole new. I always say to people, start early.

You know, there’s the NAT spec of colleges that you can look at. And also there’s an organization called Living Autism. So basically it’s free for parents and you can contact them.

And they basically have been to visit so many different schools and colleges of those one that you feel that you might think might be suitable. You know, they can liaise with the college and do risk assessments and feel if it’s the right place. So they’re called Living Autism and I’ve known them for a long time.

I don’t we don’t get anything from it. It’s just I’ve known them for a while. And basically what they do is they offer a free service for parents to help them try and find a school or a college or residential school or college or whatever it is that you’re looking for.

And they can give you some tips and advice and help you navigate the complicated system. So what sort of interests has Henry got? What can you see for his future? Yeah. So, again, that would probably take a whole day of speaking with you to that last question.

But Henry’s an outdoor kid. He loves cycling, being outdoors, going on the swings, just taking in the elements really. He absolutely loves that.

He’s quite an energetic young man. And he likes flapping and flapping ribbons is something he loves to do. He enjoys very, very sociable.

So he has communication difficulties. Again, it’s really important to stress because I think sometimes assumptions are made about autistic people that struggle to communicate. He actually is a very sociable person and really loves being around other people and strives to communicate with them to the best of his ability.

So that’s a bit about Henry. It’s interesting because he’s such a character and such a strong personality that everybody warms to him. He’s just got that lovely character.

I remember his sister, my daughter, saying, when she was very little, she said to me, Mum, Henry’s like the sun and all the planets just moving around him. I thought it was such a lovely description and it really is like that. People are drawn to him and want to be with him and help him and talk to him.

He’s a great kid, a really great kid. So how does he get on with his sisters? Well, siblings, good days and bad days. And that’s also really important, I think, as well.

Again, just to give them the right to be his sisters and him to be their brother. They are young carers, but they’re also siblings. So they get on fantastically.

They also argue, just like any other brothers and sisters do. And that’s absolutely fine. The other addition we have in our family, which I haven’t mentioned, is we also have a dog.

I love a dog. And he’s Henry’s autism assistant dog. I applied for him about seven years ago now, actually beyond that, because we were on the waitings for a long time.

And I can tell you a bit about him, if you like, Hannah. Yeah, that would be good. I get a lot of questions asked about assistance dogs.

What’s the process? And I know it can be quite expensive. Yeah, yeah. Well, actually, our dog came through Dogs for Good, and they’re a charity.

So they really try and limit any costs involved. And he’s an autism assistance dog. That’s his role.

And basically, you apply via the charity. But there, as you can imagine, there’s a really young waiting list. And when I applied, it was at a time, actually, when I was a stay-at-home carer, and Henry’s needs were quite great.

And he was at home. He was quite young. And it was quite isolating and lonely.

And I came across Dogs for Good by chance when I was watching TV one day. And I suddenly thought, oh, canine companion like I do. And I thought, oh, that would benefit Henry hugely and also be so wonderful for our family.

So I applied. I thought, well, you’re never going to get through. But I applied.

And they responded. And they said, you know, if you’re on the waiting list, that could take you in. It actually did.

If you continue to show that you’re interested, you might reach the top of the waiting list and actually might be successful. And I’m cutting the story very short. But we were.

And they brought a couple of dogs home to see if they were a good match. They worked really hard on making sure that the dog was a good match for the child and the family. And when we were accepted, I am actually the dog trainer.

It’s an interesting relationship because Henry is non-speaking, non-verbal. I am the trainer, if you like. I’m the instructor.

So in the early days when Henry was much younger, Lloyd the dog would support him with a harness and keep him safe at the road. He was fantastic with road safety. He was also really good with sensory support, headrest and things like that when Henry was feeling overwhelmed.

And just an absolutely fantastic character and also our family pet, too. So definitely wanted to mention him because he’s also an important part of the family and brought us so much joy. Yeah, so much joy and support for Henry.

He’s going into semi-retirement now because he’s an older dog. But I thought it would be useful for people listening. I definitely know I’ve asked a lot of questions.

So now I’d like to talk to you about your lovely holiday home. So tell me why you set it up and how was the process for you? Yeah, so I mentioned that I do quite a lot of advocacy work and I’ve done quite a lot of voluntary work, helping autistic people, helping families with autism on the map. And I really believe quite strongly in equality for autistic people.

But also equity, this idea that we don’t necessarily start from the same place and we’ve got to acknowledge and make adjustments to support those people with additional needs and disability. And I feel so strongly with Henry and people like Henry that they should have a place at the table, so to speak. So with our holiday home, it started as a gem of an idea, a really German idea, I should say.

It was a really small idea. We would go on holiday as a family and we really struggled for that for years. And I’m just talking about staycations in the UK.

We would try and find a accommodation that met our son’s needs and met our needs as a family too, because it’s supposed to be a break for us. And it was very difficult. It got to the point where we went away to Cornwall actually.

And we stayed in a house that we thought, yeah, we could potentially come back here, not too stressful on the stress scale. But we were told that we weren’t welcome back when we tried to rebook. When we tried to rebook, we were told, I’m sorry, you’re not welcome back.

And they wouldn’t go into any detail about why that was. So we didn’t really know why. So it was deeply upsetting.

That’s terrible. Yeah, absolutely awful. But we had a feeling it was possibly something to do with having our son with us.

And I guess the holiday-let person felt it didn’t suit our needs. So obviously that was really, really upsetting and not our confidence hugely. And I thought, well, I spoke to my partner, David, and I thought, well, we can’t be the only family that feels this way.

That’s been even treated this way. And also, we were just so tired of trying to find somewhere that met our son’s needs that it was becoming so difficult. So we thought, right, OK, what about if we could harness what we know, speak to other people that we know in the autism community, speak to autistic people, maybe if we find out they’re experiencing similar things, maybe we could create something ourselves.

And we wanted to give autistic children and adults and their families and parents the opportunity to go on a holiday, even for a very short break, because they deserve a holiday just like everyone else. It’s that equity thing again. And so our holiday home, which we created in Bath, beautiful city, started, like I said, in 2017.

Right. And then we started to try and raise funds and look for a property that would suit needs. And I did a lot of market research.

Like I said, I spoke to people in the autism community that had a lot of experience with this and also spoke to family and friends as well. Yeah. And because I wanted to get the research right and make it suitable for many autistic people.

And eventually we were able to find a property that was suitable and we renovated it. And it’s now Sunday in Bath, which is this holiday home that we have created, which we would love. Families, autistic adults, autistic children, their parents and carers to come and stay, even if it’s for a short break to start with.

Yes. To have that holiday experience in a place where they feel truly comfortable. So was it was there a lot sort of ups and downs and like were you worrying when you first opened it or people going to.

Oh yeah. So I skimmed a bit. But yeah, I mean, it’s been a really tricky journey because this has been through the pandemic.

And obviously all the stress and difficulties through that, which have been horrendous, obviously. And it slowed the process down and also our son got quite poorly as well. So it did mean that the process took quite a long time.

And we also want to get it right. So, yeah, I guess it has been a long journey. We are very newly opened.

We have taken some bookings and we would love for people to take a look at the website. I can talk you through a bit about how we’ve tried to adapt some gate to make it often friendly. That’s helpful.

Yeah, that would be great. So tell me about, first of all, say, for example, your vision of how it to be. And now it’s complete.

Did it change or was it like a work in progress? Yeah, so our vision was to make it truly often friendly so that there are many places and they are saying they’re often friendly in a heartfelt way. They want to be often friendly, but they still don’t meet need. So what we were trying, what we have tried to do is actually take on board our lived experience, our son’s experience and many other people’s experiences and recommendations and bring those into Sunday.

And we’ve included a range of adaptations and some more discreet features to enable families and autistic people to feel comfortable and enjoy their holiday. There’s a range of ways that we’ve done that. Yeah, please do.

Talk to me about it. Sell it. So this is your opportunity to sell it now.

Tell me about the room. Yeah, so it’s a it’s a bug. So some of the things that we’ve problems that we’ve encountered ourselves and we’ve found other people have encountered if the stairs.

So we thought, well, if we just don’t have stairs, that eliminates quite a few problems for people with in terms of safety and things we’ve tried to keep it as safe as possible. So we’ve got and simplistic as possible in terms of the decor. So quite neutral, quite calm colors.

In terms of safety, we’ve tried to have door lockable doors and window restrictors and windows where it’s safe to do so. We’ve also kept it really simple in terms of underfloor heating, which might sound sound strange, but actually radiators could be a real problem in terms of climbing or fiddling with the equipment. And we’ve also also underfloor heating feels lovely underfoot as well in terms of sensory needs.

It’s no trinket, so it’s trinket free. So it’s a cut of free zone just to kind of bring down any stimulation and hopefully reduce breakages as well. And we’ve also tried to use safety glass where we can and that allows for plenty of light.

We’ve avoided wires and so we’ve tried to include integrated wires so that, you know, again, just sometimes that makes it a bit more likely to be tampered with. We’ve got lockable covers, the covers in the kitchen have got magnet locks, lockable appliances, so the washer dryer and the oven have got child locks. We’ve also got some other equipment which is really useful, like a large fridge freezer because lots of young men have dietary requirements.

And we have safety blinds in all the rooms and they’re blackout blinds. Just again, you talked about blinds at the beginning of your introduction, you know, that sunlight issue. So we’ve tried to meet that need.

And we’ve also got an enclosed sensory courtyard outside with a water feature and a swing chair. So again, people feel that they just want to build up that confidence just around the house and then they could just go to the courtyard and just stay there for a day or so and then venture out if they want to. For me, the thing is obviously beds and toilet initiatives.

Yeah. Yeah. So so we’ve also got we’ve got a king size bed.

We’ve got three bedrooms in the in the king bedroom. There’s a king size bed, which is reinforced, so good for dancers. We’ve also got a single room with one single bed, which has got a reinforced bed again.

And then we’ve got a twin room with two, two single beds. And that’s got some extra sensory bits in neon lights and a ceiling projector with a laser and galaxy stars laser. We’ve also got about toilet issues.

So in the single room, we’ve got a waterproof mattress and there’s also an ensuite shower room. So we also have a utility room, which I said we have a washer dryer. And so so people can use that in that area as well.

There’s other sensory equipment that we’ve got to meet needs, which I’m happy to talk through. Yeah. So we’ve got various things again from our son’s experience, but also other people are saying we would love this.

We in the lounge because we’ve really tried to make it a space that the whole family can relax. We’ve got a sensory corner with a teardrop swing, floor cushion and mats in a cool tunnel. There’s a big bay window with beautiful views of bath that you can sit in.

That’s our son’s favorite spot. We’ve got a white noise machine, a weighted blanket. I’ve talked about the blackout blind.

We’ve got a sensor tap in the bathroom, which will be quite fun, but also a voice flooding. We’ve got dimmable warm white lights throughout because lighting can be an issue for some autistic people. Yeah.

And now living at home with because they’re like dim lights all the time. Yes. Like my friend’s house and they’ve got the lights.

But yeah, I know it’s a shock to system. So we’ve tried to do that. We’ve also done a little subtle thing with we tried not to have the bathroom fan using the same wiring as the lighting because in my research that came up as an issue for some autistic people.

And in the bathrooms, we also have a quiet mark fan, which is a very quiet fan. So we’ve really tried to meet quite a lot of needs there. We also have a safe place bed, which is a temporary bed that you can put over a single bed.

So that if an autistic child wants to feel a bit more enclosed and cozy, we can offer that. I think we’ve got smart TV with DVD player in the lounge. And then we’ve also got a TV and DVD player in the kitchen because again, DVD players were quite top one.

Yeah, that’s a big company. I wonder about the property itself. How did you choose the right property? And where is it located? And what about neighbors and all that sort of thing? Yeah, good question.

So we’ve got where it’s located. It’s about a 10 minute drive from the central bath. It’s in quite a quiet residential area.

It’s on an elevated spot. So it’s got these lovely views. It’s set back away from the main road.

There’s a bus stop right nearby. So if people want to go into the city by bus, they can. There’s also a bus city farm is about a five minute walk, even less than that.

So again, that’s just a lovely day out. The farm is really disability and autism friendly. It’s a lovely farm.

It’s free entry. There’s also shops just over the road and a doctor’s surgery nearby as well. And in terms of why we chose it.

Well, it just felt like it had that holiday feel because it’s up high and it’s got these lovely views. And because it’s the airy and light inside, it had that lovely feel. So even if you’re just going for a few days, you feel hopefully families will feel revived and relaxed and happy and have that confidence.

Some of these families, and you mentioned yourself and us too, have really struggled for years to go away as a family. The local residents are lovely. It’s a lovely, friendly place.

And it’s just a perfect spot. And we just felt it just felt right. We looked at a few places and we thought, no, not quite right.

But when we went there, it felt right. Obviously, we had limitations in terms of budget. You know, we’ve had to.

I was going to say something like this. Yeah, I mean, it’s just it’s a huge endeavour. It’s a lot.

It’s a labour of love project. You know, we’ve had to beg and borrow to do this. And, yeah, I wonder if I had to do it all over again.

Would I? Well, I don’t know. There’s a question mark with that. Yeah, I was just going to actually say it.

If someone said to do it again, would you do it again? I mean, like, you know, five or six homes dotted around. I don’t know. I don’t think so.

I mean, this is a very, very special project. It’s a project very close to my heart and our family’s heart. And there’s been a lot of sacrifice for this.

And, you know, we couldn’t afford to do it again, but also there’s something special about doing this. This sweet little bungalow for, you know, these families that have never been able to go away or have only been able to go away, you know, for a limited period or, you know, with limitations. So, you know, I just don’t know if we’d find someone like this again.

Yeah, I think the thing is word of mouth is very powerful. So especially within the autism community. So when you’ve had a few people that have been to visit, they start sharing social media and going around.

There’s even like a website that I’ve just recently come into contact with because I know the lady that actually set it up and it’s fairly new. And it’s already starting to sort of be motivated and they were at the autism expo. So it’s called Coloco Direct.

You might want to advertise your property on there. So it’s spelled K-O-L-O-K-O Direct. And it’s sensory-friendly vacations and holidays.

It’s not just for autism. It’s for people with various disabilities. Yeah, I know.

I know it, Anna, actually. And I know Stella, who… Oh, right. Okay, yeah, she’s lovely.

Yeah, it’s been great to speak with her. And, yeah, she was happy to put Sunday on there. Oh, that’s great.

Oh, that’s great. Yeah, I also wanted to mention as well that with the house that we also have a few little treats as well. We’re working with some local people.

So we have some complimentary gluten-free cakes when people arrive. And we have nearby… There is a lady who provides Massage and Beauty and she has done special offers for Sunday guests as well. So some lovely elements.

We also look dog-friendly too. I told you about our dog. So we’re most definitely dog-friendly.

I agree with you about spreading the word and I really hope that people find the time to look at our website, which is sundatebath.co.uk. I’m happy for people to email me at sundatebath.gmail.com. And there’s a phone number on the website as well. And we’ve got a Facebook page, which is sundatebath. Please do take a look at anyone listening that might be interested.

And I’m more than happy to speak to people if they have any questions about it or any queries or worries even. We are taking bookings and we have got some bookings and I have spoken personally to many of the families with their foot because they have their concerns about going online. They want to make sure it’s the right place.

But if you missed with reference to where to find it, it’s on the charity website as well. So if you check out Anna Kennedy online and the link will be on there and you can contact Tamsin to ask any questions. I’ll be looking at it myself as well as we spoke briefly because we have been doing holiday all together for about 18 years.

So I need to make sure that Patrick, Angela and Sean are going to be happy. We would love you to come. Three days, I think that’d be enough.

Yeah, that’s why we’ve offered that because we know that that sometimes is enough. But I mean, if the place is right, then it’s a holiday, right? It’s a parade. The other thing you said about people being able to afford it.

We do take family fund vouchers. So if people are struggling to afford something like this, please look on our website under the FAQ, Quickly Asked Questions section and you’ll see that we do take those vouchers as well. The other thing I wanted to talk about with the, I mentioned with the, we provide a digital guide when people stay with us.

So when guests stay with us, some holiday homes have welcome books, don’t they? Which is, you arrive and you have this folder and you might look at it or you just might not have the time. And if it’s a family like mine, you definitely wouldn’t have the time. Well, what we’ve done is we’ve compiled a digital guide to some gate and the local area, which you can download on your phone.

And we send that through to you once you’ve booked. So you have plenty of time to have a look through at what some gate has to offer and the autism and family friendly adaptations and what things might work for you as a family, but also all the different places to go in bath and beyond. And we put our top recommendations for places to eat and places to visit.

And some of those are free. We put all of those on the digital guide as well. And that’s a live guide.

So I’m updating that regularly so that if there’s something happening in bath that might be particularly autism or family friendly, then I’d add that to the guide. So families will get that before they come so they can plan. I also provide a social story of coming to stay at some gate.

So I can give that to families too. And that’s got pictures. But the guide I think is important because that’s quite unique.

And I’m hoping that families will use that because I just think it’s my own point of view. When we’ve been on holiday and a few are far between, but when we have, I’ve had some fun. So far in advance.

It’s quite stressful. If you get it wrong, I totally get where you’re coming from. So obviously this has been a big project for you and caring for your son and obviously your daughter as well.

So because this is a program about wellbeing, what do you do to help you relax and to keep going, ticking over one day at a time? What a question. Well, I knew a divergent myself. So relaxing is hard for me.

I’ve got quite a fizzy brain and I find it really hard to relax. I try to take walks with the dog. That’s a lovely way to relax or just by myself.

And I also really enjoy sitting with a cup of coffee. I know that doesn’t quite match, but actually just five minutes during that can be really nice. I totally get where you’re coming from.

It’s just you and it’s just like, you just need to reset if you like or recharge your batteries, however you want to call it. Just a short spare time doesn’t have to be much. I’m also a big fan of Netflix and watching stuff on there.

Again, just allowing myself time, giving myself permission to switch off because I could just worry and stress all the time. And I’m not saying that like I’ve achieved it. I haven’t.

There are days when it overwhelms me. But I do try to just switch off and watch something, some sort of garbage that’s just fun and light. The other things that I was doing before the pandemic, I was doing karate and I did sing and acquire, but those have fallen by the wayside with this project because, as you can imagine, I’ve put a lot of energy into that and into caring for my children.

But those things that I have suggested are quite easy things to do. Yeah, you might have to get back to the karate and the sing. I hope so.

I really hope so. Yeah, it’s a good way of releasing energy and frustration, definitely. Is it also why you sing during the day, like when your son’s at college? Actually, it was in the evening.

But again, that’s quite a nice way to get out. I could say, well, I’m going to cry now, bye. And leave my part of the period.

So I kind of miss that. And it was a great community. It is a great community, because I’m still part of the community.

But I also have little kind of mantras that I tell myself too. So, you know, if I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s just trying not to panic, breathe. So you really kind of breathing, which again sounds quite simple and, you know, maybe a little bit patronizing, but I’m really not intending for it to be that way.

Sometimes it’s just about being in the moment. The days are long, but the years are short. And it’s about seizing.

And again, that saying that for before, you know, comparison is the thief of joy, but it is for me. So it’s about finding our own journey. And not comparing too much with others.

And also, I really think this is important as well, Anna, not to be afraid to talk about your experience. So I was nervous coming on here today, partly because I’m a bit starstruck with you, Anna. And partly because, you know, it takes a lot out of you, doesn’t it, to open up? It does.

But it is important. And also, it’s important to ask for help. You know, speak to people that you trust.

Only then will other people learn and make adjustments and give the support needed. So, you know, I think it goes back to that thing about, you know, what I’m trying to do is provide something that, you know, allows people the chance to have a break, to have a holiday, something that other people just take for granted. And actually, you know, we all deserve that.

We deserve those small moments. It is completely, completely taking that first step. We enjoy those small moments and we enjoy those bigger memories.

But it is taking that first step. And I hope just, you know, there’s just a couple of people that listen to this and have the courage to say, oh, yeah, I might just look at the website. I might just actually even contact Tanzan and just ask a bit more about staying, because I do get that it can be really tough and that going away on holiday, just even a short break can be really tough.

So I hope that, you know, your listeners, this gives them courage. And, you know, like I said, my journey, our journey as a family, has been difficult at times, to say the least, but it’s also been really great. And I hope that this experience of staying at Sunday at Bath, I hope that that also gives people wonderful memories.

So if you could give any tips and advice to yourself, so looking at yourself now, how you worked quite a few years ago, what would you do? Would you do anything differently or would you just do anything differently? Yeah, it’s a good question. I would do things differently. I would try not to worry about things that haven’t happened.

Obviously plan where you can, but try not to worry too much because that can be really overwhelming. And also try and enjoy. For me, it’s trying to enjoy my children and all the unique things that they bring.

Like I said, it goes back to that trying not to care. Sorry if you heard the dog shaking there in the background. He knows that this is coming to an end.

I don’t know how he knows that, but he does. And he’s like, we’re going for a walk now. And yeah, and try to find joy.

Just try to find joy where you can, even if it’s in the smallest thing. And if, for example, for parents now thinking that their son or their daughter or their loved one might be autistic, what tips and advice would you give to them? I would say reach out. Don’t hesitate.

Even if you find that people aren’t listening, sometimes you just have to persevere. And that can be really tough. And I know that the systems are sometimes designed to work against people.

But if you believe that your child needs help, then it’s about persevering. And find your tribe as well. Find other people that will listen to you and support you as well.

And those people are out there. They don’t have to have no devoted children. I have friends that do and don’t.

It’s really important to just find people that are there for you and are reliable and will be listening to you and just be there for you. Can I ask you a question about, I asked this because now obviously a lot of people don’t like to say just diagnose autistic, like you keep talking about neurodivergent. Do you think by using that terminology, and this is just me saying it out there, that it’s going to water down support that local authorities, health authorities that will give out rather than being specific.

Do you think by saying neurodivergent, that the funding will be more readily available or do you think there’s going to be less? That’s a good question. I need a moment to think about that. But I think it’s important to use the language that you feel comfortable with.

That’s the very best thing. I think that neurodivergent is an umbrella term really for other conditions. And when I’m using that term, I’m referring to ADHD, autism, sensory difficulties, etc.

So I think it’s important to try and use the language as specific as possible to your child or young person or adult so that other people understand. But also being mindful of what language that person would like to use as well. Does that answer the question? Yeah, just because I spoke with quite a few people and they’re worried about funding because we’re in an ever-changing world all the time, lots of labels and sometimes people feel a little bit worried about seeing things, walking on eggshells, feeling just too overwhelmed by all about upsetting people.

So that’s the thing that I worry about with reference to using neurodivergent. For me, in my opinion, I’ve got nothing against neurodiversity and neurodivergent, but I think my son’s got autism and for me, that’s where his needs lie, if you like. I agree.

I think it’s a broad term and I think it’s important to identify where the needs are. I completely agree with you. And you need to use the language that’s appropriate to need.

Sorry, I 100% agree with you there. And I can see how it’s confusing particularly when they’re new on this journey to know which language to use. And some of the parents that I have worked with, because I have worked in the local parent care group as a parent defender, some of the parents that are new on the journey have already struggled with that.

So I do agree with you, Anna. And, you know, different places use different terminology as well. I’ve also done volunteering with Ipsy.

I don’t know if you’ve heard that. Yeah, no, Ipsy and my husband used to volunteer for them. Okay, yeah, so the same.

And, you know, there’ll be different language there. And then I also was a witness that the, I think it’s a mouthful now, all party parliamentary group on autism for their inquiries. And again, different language there.

So I think it’s about speaking to people you trust using language you feel comfortable with and also trying to find sources of education so that you can navigate, because it is really tough, particularly if you’re starting out on the journey. And that’s also for older people, adults that might want the diagnosis as well. It’s really tough, isn’t it? Because I got my diagnosis as an adult.

How did you feel about it afterwards? I know we’ve only got a few minutes left. How did you feel about it after you got your diagnosis? So I got diagnosed with ADHD this year. And I feel great about it.

I’ve always known that I have ADHD. It’s no surprise, really. And it just validates the way that I think and work and communicate with others, I guess.

So I’ll apologise now if I’ve really waffled on. We’re going on a tangent. And I think we’re going to talk about your lovely holiday home because I know there’s a lot of parents out there.

They’re always looking for places that might be suitable for them and I just think it sounds ideal and I’ll definitely be looking at it myself. So I just wanted to say thank you very much indeed for speaking to me today and for sharing your experiences and just to remind people where they can find it. What’s it called again? OK, so if you’re looking to the website, it’s sungatebath.co.uk. And if you want to email, it’s sungatebath.gmail.com. And if you’re looking for the Facebook page, it’s just sungate.com.bar. Thank you.

And if you want to check out our charity website, we’ll definitely put it on our resources page. So it’s www.annakennedyonline.com. If you want to follow me on social media, at Anna Kennedy on one on Twitter, Anna Kennedy Online on Facebook, Anna Kennedy OBE on Instagram. And if you want to be a speaker, want to chat to me on Women’s Radio Station, please contact me via the charity website and we can arrange for you to talk to me and talk to me about, you know, what it is that you want to talk about with reference to all things autism.

So thank you again. Best wishes and good luck for everything and take care of yourself. Okay.

Have a good day everyone. Keep going. Speak to you next week.

Bye.