‘The people around him assume he’s having a teenage strop’

Julie Macdonald lives in Renfrewshire with her husband and her four children. Her 14-year-old son, Lewis, is autistic.

She said: “Lewis is often uncomfortable in public. He goes rigid and doesn’t want to move, and the people around him assume he’s having a teenage strop.

“Sometimes he holds my hand and that makes people stare because he’s almost as tall as me.

“I wish they weren’t so judgemental, but I just try to ignore it. Lewis experiences sensory challenges so the sounds, smells and crowds of shopping centres are difficult for him. It really just depends what else has been happening that day and how he’s feeling. I tend to go shopping by myself, but not all parents of autistic children have someone who can help with childcare.

“I’m really pleased that Morrisons are introducing a weekly Quieter Hour. I usually go shopping by myself because the lights, noises and smells can be difficult for Lewis.

“I hope that this initiative will make organisations right across Scotland understand that very small adjustments can make a very big difference to autistic people and their families.”