Market Drayton's brave Eleanor speaks out on autism battle

So it was a big moment for the 10-year-old when she stood up in front of her whole school yesterday to explain in her own words how the condition affects her life every day.

Eleanor, who is in Year 6 at Longlands Primary School in Market Drayton, is one of about 700,000 people in the UK who has autism.

But it was only after telling her mother about the problems she was facing with other children that led to her being diagnosed with the condition, which is a lifelong developmental disability.

Eleanor made her speech as part of National Autism Awareness Week, which runs until Friday.

She said her friends have been very supportive since they found out she had autism.

"They haven't treated me any different," she said. "They said 'it doesn't matter, you are still my friend'."

More than one in 100 people live with autism – and if their families are included the condition touches the lives of 2.8 million people every day.

People with autism or Asperger's syndrome may appear to behave unusually.

There will generally be a reason for this. It can be an attempt to communicate, or a way of coping with a particular situation.

Eleanor said: "I want to make people aware of autism, not just that it is something people have, but also how it affects them.

"It affects people in different ways and people can be teased for having it, but if you have it you can't help it.

"I find it hard to see other people's emotions and understand what they are saying sometimes. I also need to find ways to calm down sometimes."

She said she has a number of ways to deal with certain situations, including using a weighted cushion and a Rubik's Cube.

"I do Lazy 8 Breathing where I trace the Lazy 8 with my finger and taking a deep breath in," Eleanor said.

"I fiddle with my lap pad and a Rubik's Cube. I can't solve the puzzle but I find it a distraction whether I am angry, upset, hyper or excited.

"I also scribble on paper and if that's not working I will fold it."

As well as giving a speech in front of the school yesterday, Eleanor used videos and a challenge to get her message across.

Speaking before the event, she said: "I am feeling really confident. It is not every day you can talk in front of the whole school about autism.

"It is about making sure people know what it is about and how it affects others."

Sally Sleath, the special educational needs(SEN) and disabilities co-ordinator at the school, said: "Eleanor came to me just before Christmas to say that she would like to explain to the school a bit more about autism so that people don't think she is weird and they understand her and other children a bit better.

"When I heard about National Autism Awareness Week, I felt that this was the perfect opportunity for Eleanor and I to tell the children a little bit more about it.

"I am really proud of her and she is really brave standing up in front of the school."

Other events are being held this week at Longlands as well as the Grange School in Shrewsbury, which are both part of the Shrewsbury Academies Trust.

Mrs Sleath said: "I have organised an informal coffee meeting at both primary schools – at Longlands at 2.30pm today – and the Grange at 2.30pm on Thursday.

"I have invited all parents and carers that would like to come along and learn a little bit more about autism and how to support children with traits.

"There will be a representative from Autism West Midlands at both meetings and hopefully a representative from IASS – a service that supports parents and carers.

"Teachers will be delivering age-appropriate lessons to their classes to help the children learn a little bit more about what it may mean to be autistic. These are using lesson plans from the national autism awareness bank of resources."

She added: "The main message is to understand tolerance and talk about how it can be a gift and not just a negative thing."

The National Autistic Society – a UK charity aimed at supporting people with autism and their families says autistic children and young people can be more at risk of being bullied than their peers.

But the organisation says children often find it hard to be able to communicate this to their parents or guardians.

Eleanor has her own advice for anyone with autism who is getting picked on or being bullied by others.

"Tell someone you trust and they can help you sort it out," she said.

• For more details about the condition visit http://www.autism.org.uk/