Autism education video goes viral
AN educational video designed to help the wider public to understand what autism is really like has gained over 600,000 views since being posted online two weeks ago.
The video was the brainchild of a number of mothers of children with autism, from all over Ireland, and they decided a video like theirs needed to be made.
The video was released on the ‘My Boy Blue’ Facebook page just over two weeks ago, and according to Tralee mother Lisa Curran – who was involved in making the video – the reaction has been “unbelievable”.
“We came up with a video to show the way that we describe autism to our small fellas and girls,” said Lisa, whose own five-year-old son, Christopher, has autism and who features in the video himself.
“The kids and teenagers involved just kind of explained what it [autism] is in their own words and talked about the positive sides of it,” Ms Curran continued.
Lisa explained that what they wanted to do with their video was to highlight the sometimes forgotten positives of those who have autism.
“A lot of the videos out there about autism are a little sad, whereas ours is definitely a happy one,” she said with a laugh.
To say the reaction to the video has been huge would be an understatement.
According to Lisa, the mothers have been contacted by a number of schools around the country asking for permission to show their video in their classrooms.
“There’s a class that has two kids with autism, and their teacher said that they’d love to be able to show the video to their class so that the rest of the kids would understand what it’s like,” Lisa continued.
“People are evening showing it to kids so that they can understand their brothers or their sisters or their cousins which we think is wonderful,” she said.
“Even for parents who are at the start of their journey of a child with autism, to see something positive is huge.”
Since being shared on the ‘My Boy Blue’ page, the video has been shared on social media by newspapers and magazines, and it has garnered 20,000 views on these sites as well.
“It [the reaction] is more than we could ever have asked for,” she said.
“It’s so great for the kids themselves who have autism to know that there are other kids out there who feel the same way that they do or that their mom tells them the same thing. It’s such an inclusive thing,” she added.
The video is now available to view on The Kerryman Facebook page at www.facebook. com/kerryman.official/. COUNCILLOR Michael O’Shea has called for public toilets and other facilities adjacent to Trá na Minn Áirde, Kilmurry Bay, Lios Póil.
Cllr O’Shea said many patrons visit the beach daily and that the beach is very busy, frequently being used for swimming lessons.
The Council said it is not in a position to provide public conveniences at the beach as it is wholly committed to the maintenance of its existing stock.