Raising a child with autism

Nip in the Bud

What

Carrie and David Grant describe how their happy little girl began to feel excluded and different when she started to go to school. The outside world is so structured towards the neurotypical that it was causing a lot of damage to Talia who is not neurotypical because of her autism.

It is a misnomer that autistic children are not sociable. They want to be able to have all kinds of friends, especially if they are high functioning. But if they are excluded and don’t fit in anywhere, this leads to feelings of isolation, sadness and depression.

Talia finally came into her own when she became an actor playing an autistic character for Hollyoaks. The company and other cast members were determined to understand Talia. They constantly change the environment around her and make adjustments to suit Talia’s needs. As a result, Talia has flourished.

Carrie and David have some suggestions for parents:

Parents need to try and listen to their children and hear what their child is saying.

Parents should look for parent groups online in their local area or through Facebook to see if they can find a group of like-minded people who can share experiences and difficulties, get help, and learn from each other.

This is one of our real-life experience films but we've also included other films about Autism here on the Young Foundation platform.

For more information, the accompanying comprehensive Fact Sheets and additional resources visit our website.