‘We have autism, but we are all very different’

LAPO OLIVAL and his friends at De La Salle primary school in Kilkenny City are getting ready for a big myth-busting mission.

They want to set the record straight about autism and have been preparing to deliver masterclasses to help fellow fifth and sixth class pupils to understand some truths and falsehoods about the condition.

Autism Ireland’s Blue Nose Week awareness campaign kicks off next Monday and Lapo and five other students — Paul Priestley, Alex Walsh, Evan Maher, Oskar Hulisz and Adrián Burcea — who make up a special ASD class are playing a leading role in the school’s activities.

Lapo (11) explains: “We will be mentioning that people with autism have a lot of strengths that people don’t always focus on. When people talk about autism they often talk about all the negative things about it. There are, indeed, negative aspects but not many people focus on the positive aspects and strengths.”

While Lapo has been hard at work compiling a multimedia, PowerPoint presentation, others have been busy on different aspects of the campaign, including a poster competition. Oskar talks about some of the facts and myths that they will share with classmates. For instance, a view that autism affects only boys. “That is false, because girls have autism too,” he says. Nor is it true that people with autism are unsociable — while they may have difficulty making friends, it doesn’t mean they don’t want them.

The boys want to spread the word beyond the school and have written a blog and emailed it to Adam Harris of the As I Am autism advocacy organisation in the hope that it will be published on its website.

Evan gives a flavour of it: “We are six boys going to school in Kilkenny City. We all have autism and attend a special ASD class attached to a mainstream boys’ school. Our day is split up between time in mainstream classes and time in the wing.

“When we are in the wing, we learn how to cope with autism with the help of our ASD teachers and our SNAs. Even though we all have autism, we are all very different.”

Paul Priestley and Alex Walsh are two sixth class pupils preparing for the transition to second level in September and, according to Paul, with a certain apprehension. Like many sixth class students, he says he will be sad to leave his friends.