There was great excitement at Hillingdon Manor Primary School for their Autism Awareness Bubble Day event, featuring bubbleologist ‘Sam the Bubble Man’ on March 28 at 1pm, as part of the inaugural ‘Bubble Day’.
Autism Bubble Day was launched by the Hearts & Minds Challenge – a charity which supports children and families living with autism – together with Autism In Mind (AIM), the awareness-raising initiative aims to highlight in a fun and simple way how autistic children feel and how they would like to be treated.
Hillingdon Manor is an independent specialist school for children on the autistic spectrum between three and a half and nineteen years of age.
Anna Kennedy, OBE, Tesco Mum of the Year and founder of Hillingdon Manor School, said: “This is an exciting way for the pupils to socially interact and enjoy raising awareness about autism.”
‘Bubble Day’ is calling for schools, community groups and kids clubs across the region to host their very own events before, on, or after 2 April 2013, which also coincides with World Autism Day. To date, more than 730 schools have already signed up for ‘Bubble Day’.
Ian McGrath, founder of the Hearts & Minds Challenge, said: “We’re delighted that Hillingdon Manor School has got wholeheartedly involved with ‘Bubble Day’. The campaign is intended to help people understand the feelings and behaviour of autistic children, who can often feel like they live within their own bubble and struggle to communicate with the wider world.”
Ian added: “To date, more than 730 schools have already signed up to the campaign. We’d love many more schools and groups in West London to get involved in fun bubble-related activities to help us raise vital awareness of the condition.”
The campaign is being backed by three of the charity’s dedicated celebrity patrons, Paul Scholes, Mel Sykes and Keith Duffy.
Television presenter, Mel Sykes, said: “The Hearts & Minds Challenge works tirelessly to support children and families affected by autism. The ‘Bubble Day’ campaign is yet another example of the charity’s commitment to raise awareness across the UK and I urge everyone to get involved in spreading the message far and wide.”
In the UK, there are over half a million people with autism. According to ‘Autism and education: the reality for families today’, over 40 per cent of children with autism have been bullied at school.
The Hearts & Minds Challenge aims to raise the quality of life for individuals and their families affected by autism, by ensuring the provision of the highest standards in education, care and support. For more information, please visit: http://www.heartsandmindschallenge.org/
