On Sunday 27th April 2025 I am running the London Marathon for my youngest daughter Hannah to raise funds for the National Autistic Society (NAS), to help them continue their amazing work supporting those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those waiting for diagnosis. If you care to understand how ASD affects her daily family life and why I am passionate about raising awareness please read on…….

This will be my 5th London Marathon before hitting a personal milestone age of 50 years old. This marathon will have a difference, my first running for NAS and for my daughter. Hannah was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in December 2023, following years of battling to get a diagnosis and recognition for a condition she struggled to mask as she got older.

Hannah (14), is in year 9 at school already working on her GCSE options, although year 9 has been almost non-existent for her. Unfortunately, on most days, she has been struggling with crippling anxiety preventing her leave her bedroom over the last 10 months. This has seen Hannah’s school attendance drop from 65%, 50% and now 20% over the last three school terms. Every school parent knows the anguish this brings along with the threats of school fines and local authority intervention. My heart sinks every day she misses school, missing out on valuable learning and time with friends, along with missing her hobbies too such as football.

The drop in school attendance coincides with a 7-month delay to get her medication increased. We had to jump through hoops, being pushed from pillar to post dealing with the GP, CAMHS, Social Services, School and Local Authority to get the help she needs. All the while her education is suffering as she falls further and further behind. This exacerbates the situation, because when Hannah does find the courage to attend school, realisation and panic sets in how far behind she is and this makes her anxiety worse. We are now in the process of exploring different educational avenues, one that supports Hannah’s needs and allows Hannah to learn in a comfortable environment.

Hannah’s anxiety causes her to have panic attacks, much of the time she cannot get out of bed and becomes overwhelmed and mute. Conversely, the panic attacks can lead to meltdowns where she has little or no control, these can range from erratic stimming behaviour, verbal foul language attacks, shouting, screaming, destructive behaviour, physical attacks on her family. These episodes can last for hours and in rare cases involve the emergency services. Luckily, since sign off to increase Hannah’s medication these meltdowns have become less frequent and less severe.

As a family we have been trying to learn to live with this condition, to support Hannah the best way possible, which has included attending support groups, various courses run by CAMHS to learn techniques and methods for dealing with various situations ASD throws up. It’s not easy and it affects all of us as we try to deal with the normal day to day tasks. Luckily I work with a fantastic firm that support flexible working and have even adopted NAS as their charity of the year for 2025.

We have been fortunate enough to get the intervention for Hannah that she needs, this from a system that is completely overrun and close to being broken in terms of the number of live and new cases for ASD diagnosis. It is estimated that there are +700,000 autistic individuals in the UK, plus tens of thousands waiting on a diagnosis or unaware that they display the characteristics of ASD. Approximately 70-80% of all teenagers with autism suffer mental health issues, compared to 29-36% of the average population.

These figures are worrying, as I don’t know where we would be as a family now without the diagnosis, medication and support for Hannah. For us, due to some serious incidents, a delayed diagnosis was not an option, we felt we did not have the luxury of time before something catastrophic happened with the current waiting times up to 2-4 years for a diagnosis through the NHS and CAMHS. We elected to go via a private route through The Priory to fast track the diagnosis.

However, I appreciate not everyone is as fortunate to take this route. My fear is that some people and their supporting families going through the same predicament as us don’t have access to a fast track diagnosis. That’s where NAS come in and provide help, support and advice for families that don’t know which way to turn. This can be a lifeline in very distressing times as the sufferer and families continue on an autism journey unaware they have already started.

The mental health support system in this country is on its knees! I have seen this for myself. That’s why I am taking my knees through 26.2 miles of the London Marathon for the 5th and final time, to raise money for an amazing worthy charity in NAS who can help neurodiverse people like my Hannah get the support they need to give them the best chance of a successful and fulfilled life in a neurotypical world.

I would really appreciate your donation and support where you can please and help me help those people get continued access to the support they need.

Many thanks in advance.

Dan

The National Autistic Society (NAS) is dedicated to transforming lives, challenging perceptions, and building a society that works for autistic people. Representing over 700,000 autistic individuals in the UK, NAS addresses the lifelong challenges and discrimination they face. Since its founding in 1962, NAS has centred autistic voices, providing essential advice, pioneering specialist services and schools, and supporting community networks. The organisation raises public awareness, improves services, influences policy, and advocates for legal protections. NAS aims to empower autistic individuals by providing the necessary support and fostering self-assertion, addressing environmental challenges and misunderstandings they often encounter.