Children with neurodivergent conditions are being given the chance to try out photography as part of a new project to build their confidence.
‘You don’t look autistic’ is run by a charity that sees children interviewing autistic adults about their experiences and identity.
CJS news spoke to Tom West and Tom Patterson, two of the photographers who supervise the children in the project.
There is currently no official data on the number of people diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions in Wales, but it is believed one in 100 children in the UK have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
They said, “The project is basically about overcoming stereotypes”.
They said they were inspired by their own children to start the project, after Tom said his son questioned why he was told his brother “doesn’t look autistic”.
“My son said to me ‘what does autistic look like?'”, Tom said. “That’s the whole reason we decided to allow the kids to find a way to channel their creativity and show that it’s a superpower not a hindrance.”
My son said to me ‘what does autistic look like?’
The plan is for the photographs to be displayed in stalls at Pontypool market.
They said the cliche that someone can “look autistic” is something they’ve come across amongst their adult friends.
Tom West said “When you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person, because it varies so much between each individual.”