AS MORE than one in 100 people are autistic, many autistic people live in Keighley.

But they’re not getting the understanding they need. Only 16 per cent of autistic people feel the public understands them. In particular, 77 per cent say people don’t understand that autistic people can need more time to process questions or instructions. This can make simple things, like going to the shops or using public transport, extra daunting.

I am autistic and in the past I got given dirty looks and had my name said in a sinister and cruel tone on some occasions in my local community, and it was sometimes from people I didn’t even recognise, simply because talk spread round easily! This made me feel like I had a local notoriety for no reason.

This happened after I left the school I went to because they couldn’t meet my needs, from the people I knew at that school. Ignorance can result in innocent autistic people getting blamed, bullied and ridiculed when they haven’t really done anything to deserve it. They are just mistaken, but they wouldn’t be if more people understood.

Encouragingly, recent research from the National Autistic Society found that 80 per cent of the general public would be happy to change their behaviour to give autistic people more time to process information, if only they knew they needed it. Giving people more time, using clear language and being more patient can make the world of difference to the lives of many autistic people.

So, I’m asking people in Keighley to join me as part of the National Autistic Society’s Too Much Information campaign to make these small changes to make our community more autism-friendly.

Anyone who wants to learn more can find out further top tips for autism-friendly behaviour at autism.org.uk/tmi.

CIARA HUMPHREYS Skipton Road, Cononley