Autism Awareness Post by Clare Worton Ms Mystic Beauty 2019-2021

As you may of read in a previous blog about my son, Zack and my experience as a Mum of a child with Epilepsy, well Zack also has complex additional needs of oppositional defiance disorder, sensory processing disorder, attachment disorder, high anxiety school phobia as well. I have family members who autistic so had an understanding of the diversity of Autism.

To look at my Son yoh would think or assume he's a normal teenager but they way he sees and processes and understands the world we live in is totally different to how the majority of us experience things.

You may of heard as autism being on the spectrum, now Zack like most dosnt fit on one colour of the spectrum hes got a bit of one colour, bit of an other and so on.

We face daily challenges with his other diagnosis too and not just your hormonal teenagers ones .

Sensory processing disorder for Zack could me clothes he dosnt like the feel off, taste and textures of food, smells of perfumes, weather is a big one.

Oppositional defiance disorder is being extremely defiant, if he dosnt want to do something he won't and that includes eating and drinking.

We've come a long way in the 5 years since diagnosis a diagnosis that still some don't believe or want to accept but he's gone onto achieve many things his word work is amazing, his already got his art GCSE, and has attained a place for college in September doing professional cooking.

Im proud to be Zacks Mum first and foremost but I'm also proud to be a Mum of a person with Autism.