Anglesey County Council recently held a number of ‘Autism Reality Experience’ events to help raise awareness of the condition.
The six events held at Holyhead and Llangefni, utilised an Autism Reality Experience Bus, which gave individuals and families the opportunity to participate in an innovative and immersive training session.
The training was designed to provide participants a virtual experience of sensory overload, an effect that individuals living with autism can experience from.
Anglesey’s Director of Social Services, Fôn Roberts, was delighted to be able to work in partnership with Experience Training Ltd. to bring the service to Anglesey.
He said, “We are proud that we have been able to hold these important and informative events on Anglesey. They have proven to be extremely popular within our communities, with all of the sessions held being fully booked.”
“The training was a practical, hands-on experience which helped to provide members of the public with a greater insight into autism. It gave participants the opportunity to experience the world from an autistic person’s perspective, promoting diversity and inclusivity for all.”
He added, “We look forward to welcoming the bus back to Anglesey in the near future. This will allow us to further raise autism awareness and provide more people with training opportunities.”
The events were held by Anglesey County Council, in partnership with other authorities and Experience Training Ltd.
Charlotte Hogan, one of the attendees at one of the events said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the ASD reality experience. It was a great opportunity for others to gain an understanding of what life with autism can be like. The classroom session was great as well, as it delved deeper into the background of autism and explained it in a simple yet effective way.”
The Autism Awareness events formed part of the County Council’s efforts towards this year’s Autism Awareness week (27 March to Sunday 2 April 2023). Keep an eye on the Council’s social media channels for similar future events.
Ends 30.3.2023