Young Person Education Co-ordinator Sarah Kinghorn and her son Blake.
Sarah Kinghorn knows first hand the impact an autism diagnosis can have on improving wellbeing.
The Young People Education Co-ordinator at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) has shared how her son, Blake, 12, was diagnosed last December as CDDFRS marks World Autism Awareness Day (April 2.)
The day aims to highlight the need for increased understanding of autism, a condition affecting millions of people worldwide and impacts social, communication, and behavioural skills.
Mam-of-two Sarah thought Blake was showing signs of autism when he was just 18 months old, but it wasn’t until the coronavirus pandemic that she discovered you can self-refer for help through the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
After speaking to CAMHS, Blake was put on an NHS waiting list for four years before he received a series of appointments which led to his autism diagnosis last December.
“Autism shouldn’t be seen as a burden,” Sarah said.
“Someone who is autistic may struggle with basic day to day tasks, but you find their strengths are in other areas.”
Sarah has found that being a mam of an autistic child has helped her at work by enabling her to communicate better with neurodivergent young people.
“I have noticed I have to word things differently or present in a different way to make sure someone who is neurodivergent understands," she said.
“It’s certainly taught me to be patient and look for other ways to check understanding.”
Sarah’s advice for supporting people with autism to reach their full potential is to have patience and understanding.
She said: “Somethings take longer, but don’t push them as this will stop them wanting to learn and stress them out.”
