This year - for Autism Awareness Week, Bailey and Winnie have decided to take on the mammoth task of walking 7km (which if you know Bailey is a huge challenge). So to support him, Bailey's good friend Cass will also be joining the walking team. Bailey has set out some clear rules:

• He wants to walk 7km


1. He wants to walk to music (on a boom box)


2. He wants to stop occasionally for Beyblade battles


3. He wants to finish the walk with a picnic and disco in the park

Obviously - due to covid - we might not be able to make his disco-picnic a reality, but if you did want to support us, come and watch us from afar!

Our reason for doing this is because of Bailey (obvs). Many of you know our story, but for those that don’t I’ll give you a little context…

…Bailey was diagnosed with ASD on the 26th April 2017. He was three. His diagnosis broke my (and husband’s) heart - not because he is autistic, but because of the challenges that we thought he will face.

Was the autism diagnosis going to change him? Will it ruin his life? Was it a label he needed? was it a label that would define and become him? Were we ever going to come to terms with it? These were all the questions that ran through our heads (and still do)…

…But to alter a single hair on his big head would change him completely. Everything that makes him so brilliant; so loved by his friends, teachers and us is because he is him. And part of him is autistic. He loves hard. he's a rule master & rule breaker. But most of all, he makes us laugh hard and cry harder…

He’s mad, and that’s how we like him!

His autism does not define him, but it’s a part of him - a good part of him; a bit of him we would never wish away. Ever!

The stigma attached to autism is outdated. It’s called a ‘spectrum’ for a reason. He’s no Rain Man. He’s got no special abilities beyond being hilarious. He’s a very social person. He loves his friends. Some have even said, “He doesn’t look autistic”. And that’s the issue. We need people to understand ‘autism’ is very different for everyone… It's not a look, it's not a trait, it is a spectrum.. and Bailey's spectrum may not be the same as anyone else. 

The NAS work tirelessly to help break down the perceptions, but we have a long way to go until autistic people feel completely accepted.

Every parent worries about what the future holds for their child. But, as parents of an autistic child, the worries run deep. It can be scary, isolating and a constant uphill battle gaining and finding the support your child needs and deserves. However, The National Autistic Society are there to help create awareness, relieve worry and destigmatise autism.

Please support us on our 7km walk. Donate to this amazing charity. It really is a life changing organisation.