A little girl and her mum are stepping out to help raise money to better support people with autism.
Ellie-Summer Baird (10) and mum Debra, from Livingston are taking part in the Walk for Autism challenge 2023 that raises funds to support autism projects across the UK and Ireland,.
Debra explained they had been inspired to take up the challenge as it was a cause “close to their hearts.”
In May Ellie, a pupil at Peel Primary, was assessed to see if she is on the autistic spectrum and since then her family has received support from various professionals, referrals to occupational health, CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and the Communication and Speech Clinic.
But Debra said it has not been easy and there were many hurdles before her daughter was diagnosed and received help.
She said: “Since Ellie’s journey started she has deteriorated a lot in many aspects that affect her daily life – school being her biggest hurdle with suffering from a lot of burn-outs and not being able to cope due to anxiety being too high and sensory issues impairing and affecting her normal daily life.
“My biggest concern as a parent is the lack of help and support you receive during this challenging time. The waiting lists are endless however most schools aren’t equipped to deal with more and more children being on the spectrum and sadly not many people understand the whole being on the autistic spectrum.
“Their needs and their brains function differently to ours and they often pass these children off and they slip through the system and don’t get the opportunities everyone else may have down to sheer ignorance or lack of knowledge and autism awareness. Our journey has been a long and challenging one and, as a parent, I’ll continue to shout as loud as I can for my daughter to be heard and for all the other children and families in the same situation.
“Mentally it’s a hard battle but if we can raise as much awareness and fund resources to support these children, I feel their world may be a better place and provide opportunities for them to reach the same goals as others.
“We aim to do as much fundraising as we can in order to educate the public on awareness on autism, to not just help the individuals on the spectrum but also make life easier for families and caregivers.
“In addition we will encourage society to accept the wonderful differences we all have.”
Ellie and Debra will join thousands of people across the UK and Ireland who will be walking 10,000 steps a day for eight days.
The challenge is part of the sixth annual Walk for Autism campaign. The week begins on March 26, and ends on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2.
Last year, over 3,800 walkers raised £407,175 and totalled 211.6 million steps.
These essential funds have supported thousands of autistic individuals and funded many projects, which encourage the pursuit of specialised interests, promote physical activity and help autistic adults and children to socialise in supportive communities.
The team at Walk for Autism plan to support even more projects next year and the support of Ellie and Debra and many others like them is essential to achieving that goal.
Walk for Autism Fundraising Manager, Liz Oakley said: “The campaign is so special to our team, as we see how much of an impact it makes every year. It really does help to improve the quality of life of the people we support. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to spend time outdoors.
“It’s important to us that the challenge is inclusive to all abilities, so whether you opt for short walks each day, walk the dog with family and friends, or take on a long-distance hike, the challenge can work around you.”
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