On Sunday April 22, I will be running the London Marathon in support of the National Autistic Society which does tremendous work in support of children and adults who have ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

Before I go on, I fully appreciate that you receive dozens of similar requests on behalf of very deserving charities. Please don't feel a sense of obligation. I won't be keeping a blacklist of non-sponsors. However, if you would like to donate, it would mean a great deal to me.

Like most people, my understanding of autism was based entirely on the film "Rain Man" and that it was an umbrella term for eccentric men with obsessive traits, an inability to understand emotions and a preference for flying Qantas. However, our youngest daughter, Alice, was diagnosed with autism a couple of years ago and it has been a fast learning curve.

Autism varies greatly from one person to the next, but it is a life-long condition for which there is no "cure" or universal treatment. In Alice's case, she is very bright but struggles with social interactions. Like many girls with autism, she is adept at disguising it (which leads to significant under-diagnosis of ASD among women) but everyday interactions are draining and difficult for her; the natural to and fro of conversation, inference and nuance are alien concepts that are painstaking to learn. As other children become more knowing, this can be isolating and unexpected changes to routine can lead to meltdown.

However, we regard ourselves as being very lucky. Alice is a bustling, quirky force of nature and injects fun and enthusiasm into everything. We are also fortunate to have the means to give her the support that she needs which has already helped her tremendously. This tailored support simply isn't available to many children with ASD, particularly those with learning difficulties (25% of ASD people are non-verbal), and their parents face the worry of their child growing up and going out into the world without the tools to navigate everyday life.

What NAS provide is critical support to children and adults with autism at home, at work and in schools. That's why I will be running for them on April 22.

If you are able to donate that would be absolutely fantastic.

Arnie