Today is World Autism Awareness Day.
Nearly 28 years ago, I came to Glasgow knowing almost nothing about autism, apart from having watched the film
Rain Man. Like many people then, my understanding was limited and shaped by that narrow view rather than by any real experience.
That changed completely with my first job here, with the National Autistic Society. Over several years, working in different roles, I began to understand autism more deeply - its complexity, its challenges, and the very different ways it can shape people's lives.
A few years later, autism became part of my own family story when my nephew Will was diagnosed. That led me to look more closely at possible genetic links across the family. My mum, in her later years, often wondered if she herself might have autism. And when I look back on parts of my own childhood through that lens, some things make more sense than they once did.
Later, I spent another seven or eight years managing Health and Social Care services for people with autism in Glasgow. At the time it was groundbreaking work, and we changed a great deal, helping to bring much-needed awareness of autism into mainstream services that did not always respond especially well. There is still much to do, but I remain proud of what was achieved in those years.
Fast forward another 10 or 12 years, and autism is now far more widely discussed. Understanding is certainly better than it was. I know so many families now whose lives are shaped by neurodiversity, including autism. But greater awareness does not, unfortunately, remove the challenges that individuals and families face.
And then, a few weeks ago, Niomi finally received her autism diagnosis after a three-year wait. In truth, we had "known" for a long time. I first questioned it when she was two years old, so the diagnosis was not a shock, and it did not magically solve anything. But it did bring some comfort - a sense of recognition perhaps, after such a long process. A validation of what we had been seeing, saying and experiencing for a long time.
Niomi's view of the world is different. At times, that can be exasperating, difficult and exceptionally demanding. But at other times, it is wonderful, funny and full of surprises. Autism undoubtedly brings challenge, but it can also bring a different way of seeing, thinking and being that has its own kind of wonder.
On World Autism Awareness Day, it is worth remembering all of this.
Autism is not just a label or a talking point. It is a lived reality for many children, adults and families. It can test us, stretch us and worry us. It can bring tears, but it can bring laughter too. And it can teach us, move us and help us see the world differently.
Who knows what lies ahead for Niomi in the years to come? And whilst she's often a bubbly little soul, autism will still be there with us - a part of who she is, and part of the road we will continue to travel together with her.
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