When my daughter was diagnosed at the age of two in 2012, I felt lost and alone. Like most parents of autistic children, I didn’t know anything about autism.

Around this time, I set up a parent support charity called Bristol Autism Support. I ran the charity for ten years, leaving in 2022 to pursue writing and parent/carer training and support. 

Over the ten years I was with BAS, I supported over 3,000 parents and carers. I learned so much from them and from my own experiences as a parent and an autistic adult. 

I’ve created Autism… Where Do I Start? to share my knowledge with other parents of autistic children, especially those who are very new to this journey. 

Parents don’t come into the world of autism as enlightened beings. Society tells us that autism is something negative to be feared. Autism… Where Do I Start? takes parents and carers on a journey from fearful to confident. 

Autism isn’t scary, but a lack of knowledge about the condition and how to support children with an autism diagnosis is. Autism… Where Do I Start? materials are built on the foundation of helping parents to understand that autism isn’t something to be afraid of and that there are many benefits to autism.