Hansard

I extend my thanks to my North East Scotland colleague Mark McDonald for once again bringing to the chamber a debate on autism. In the lifetime of the Parliament, we have looked at many aspects of understanding and coping with the condition, such as relaxed cinema and theatre performances, which have made such a difference in enabling people—especially children—to enjoy pursuits that most of us take for granted.

The motion before us moves the campaign to raise awareness of autism to a new—and to my mind, exciting—level. The focus today is on the role that our schools across the UK can play in assisting their pupils in their understanding of autism. I was interested to learn that the National Autistic Society’s approach does not involve lecturing, but instead involves activities that could be described as enjoyable as well as educational.

That approach complements the autism toolbox—already mentioned this evening—which was launched a few years ago. The toolbox is designed to support education authorities, schools and pre-schools in the delivery of services and planning for children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders.

The purpose of the toolbox is focused on supporting the inclusion of children and young people with ASD in mainstream education services in Scotland. It also introduces and describes some of the more common challenges that a pupil with autism might face. As Alasdair Allan, the Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, said:

“The toolbox will help managers and teachers review their practice as well as providing advice on building relationships with parents and carers to create an inclusive environment that allows all pupils to learn and thrive.”

The innovative approach that the National Autistic Society has taken at a United Kingdom level and a Scottish level with regard to how children in schools view autism is to be applauded. I was very impressed by the availability of resource packs that identify ways in which fundraising activities can be made fun for pupils and staff. The guide provides many suggestions for activities in which schools can engage. If I was a teacher, I would probably happily take part in the bake sale, although I think that I would be less than enthusiastic in being part of the onesie Wednesday. Having said that, a non-uniform day is a great way to bring students and staff together.

The impressive work that the National Autistic Society has undertaken in preparing an A to Z of proposed activities demonstrates that the charity takes very seriously this special week, which is designed to raise the awareness of autism in schools, as part of its overall strategy in raising awareness of the condition. However, the NAS does not lose sight of the underlying importance of those activities.

For far too long, we have ignored how children with autism feel in an environment that does not always know how to approach them. Such an initiative is crucial in educating pupils to be inclusive and to learn to understand the problems that some of their classmates may face from day to day. There is an inspiring book called “Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew”. One of those things is:

“It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids in the playground, but it may be that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or join in their play. Teach me how to play with others. Encourage other children to invite me to play along. I might be delighted to be included.”

That is the sort of message that schools autism awareness week wants to get across—that children need to know that children on the autistic spectrum are no different. We cannot go back to an age when children with ASD were educated in separate facilities.

Although this is not my final speech in the Parliament, it is the last of the 126 or so members’ business debates that I have contributed to in my time as an MSP, and I am pleased that the subject matter has been what is often a poorly understood condition that affects so many people, not least Mark McDonald and his family. I wish Mark and all those involved in raising awareness of autism all the very best in their future endeavours.