Travelling to and from your home to work, jumping on the bus or in a taxi for a trip out, seeing the world airport to airport are all things firmly established as day-to-day activities for families across our region.

But these simple journeys can cause huge anxiety for children, young people and adults with an Autism Spectrum Condition.

Today, as part of the week-long Autism Awareness campaign we venture into 'My family life out and about'.

New places, new faces, new sights and smells can all cause a sensory overload for those with heightened senses, and this can result in upset, anxiety or fear. But the good news is that today we are sharing hints and tips around making travel more accessible, strategies for you to try and looking at a case study so we can perhaps begin to understand how something many of us don’t think about can be such a challenge for others.

Thanks again for being with us. Please keep sharing these videos, stories and information links so we can raise awareness of autism and neurodiversity. With one in every 100 people thought to be on the autism spectrum it’s not time to keep this a secret!

Michelle and Kieran Rose talk about some of the challenges when going out and about as a family.

Kerrie Highcock, family development manager gives some top tips when accessing the community and public transport.

Accessing public transport can be a very daunting experience for some children and adults on the autism spectrum. Some people may have never used public transport before and others might experience anxiety around unfamiliar people, or if they aren’t on time to catch a bus.

We’ve put together a list of top tips to support you or your child when travelling in the community. Symbol supported prompt cards, journey planning apps, and time telling resources, are some of the useful tools that can be used to help the young people and adults on their travel journey.

Top tips for travel (on a bus)

For advice and support please contact Kerrie Highcock, Family Development Manager on 0191 410 9974 or by email [email protected]