Raising Autism Awareness

A discussion with Anna Kennedy OBE

by Louise Evans

"We must always keep banging the drum to get people to listen and to make change" .

Public speaker, presenter, founder of her own charity and proud holder of an OBE, Anna Kennedy is a pretty amazing woman who is making a real difference in our society. Her charity Anna Kennedy Online aims to raise autism awareness across the country in a number of unconventional and progressive ways. This includes hosting annual events such as The Autism Hero Awards and Autism's Got Talent. I was lucky enough to speak with Anna Kennedy via video call, to discuss how taking action on things you are passionate about has been a part of her journey and how change can affect those living with autism in ways many people wouldn't realise.

How did you come about starting Anna Kennedy Online?

As a parent with two autistic children, Angelo (28) and Patrick (31), I had a number of people reaching out to me for advice on schools and rest bite and just general advice. I created the charity back in 2009 in order to be there to support other parents, as somebody who already had the T-shirt and had overcome specific hurdles. We have a number of incredible role models within the charity. Our volunteers are amazing and either have a child on the spectrum or have Autism themselves. This makes it really special as everybody is there because they are passionate and want to help.

How does the idea of change affect people with autism and how has the pandemic impacted this?

People with autism are very different from each other. However, many adults and children who are autistic do thrive on routine. For my son Patrick, who has Asperger's, the idea of working from home has been incredibly difficult because it is different to what he is used to. Thankfully, his employer has been incredibly flexible and has made adjustments to suit him. I would encourage employers to look at the different ways they can ensure their employees who are on the autistic spectrum, feel comfortable and in the right headspace to do the job to their fullest capabilities. Making changes but also planning for, and accommodating, change in a workplace can make all the difference. Certainly during the pandemic, which has been difficult for everybody. The lockdowns have disrupted everybody’s everyday routine and even more so for people living with autism. In some cases the pandemic has completely thrown people off their routine, yet for some, staying at home will have allowed them to form a type of comfort bubble. Regardless, the pandemic will have taken a toll on many people's mental health.

Credit: Psychreg.org

Since 2009, have you noticed a change in the way people living with Autism are diagnosed or treated by society?

Unfortunately, not much has taken a turn since we started back in 2009, people are still struggling with diagnosis. We conducted a survey that found people are waiting 5 years before even being diagnosed. With COVID-19 this has declined even more. So much so that people are looking to the private sector for diagnosis. Recently I saw some parents who have waited for 15+ months just trying to place their son in a school that is right for him. And he has still not found the right place for his needs. Although things haven’t improved as we might have hoped since we started the charity, I believe that we must always keep banging the drum to get people to listen and to make change. Are there any specific projects you are working on at the moment? The '#Take5' Campaign is one that focuses on caring for the mental health of carers and encouraging them to take 5 for themselves- they are like the backbone of society, yet tend to go under-appreciated. Without carers, where would people who need that support be? A current project I’m working on at the moment is a really important petition titled 'Who will look after our children when we are not around?'.

Credit: Anna Kennedy

The aim is to push the government to ensuring that social health care is adequate enough to reassure parents and carers that their children will continue to be cared for when they pass away. I will be speaking with the healthcare minister to discuss this petition and hopefully we will see some change.

Credit: Anna Kennedy

I recently worked with Katie Price on the ‘Katie Price: Harvey and Me’ documentary, which follows Katie and Harvey during a crucial year marking him turning 18 years old. The Documentary follows how they navigate the transition, which Katie found more difficult than she had anticipated. I assisted in helping her navigate the transition of Harvey taking his place as an adult in a world than can be unkind and unforgiving for those with living with autism. Harvey’s autism is highly challenging and there would be a high possibility that without the correct assessments, he could be sectioned. It is all too often that individuals with autism are cast aside into mental health units which do not provide them with the support that they truly need. I always say to parents, "Arm yourself with knowledge" because it is power.

Can you tell me about the upcoming Autism Hero Awards?

The charity is widely about support and offering the resources people will need. I am lucky to be able to speak on Women’s Radio each week, giving those who may not normally get the chance to speak the opportunity. Even if it’s about a business they have set up, just giving them a platform is what I am keen to help with. This is why we do the Autism Hero Awards: to celebrate people who go the extra mile within the autism community. Whether that be a business, a carer, a parent or even a journalist who has written particularly well and respectfully about people who are on the spectrum.

Autism Hero Awards 2018

Credit: Anna Kennedy

The awards are fantastic, we have a red carpet and a three course meal and it is a great evening to really celebrate the autism community. This year's awards are going to be a compilation of 2020 and 2021, as we carried all nominations over to this year. We have a selection of distinguished judges who select a winner out of the the nominations we receive for each of the 12 categories, including the: 'Sibling of the year award' , 'Special recognition award' and 'Support Group of the year award' . They ALWAYS ask if they can have more than one winner because the nominations are always just incredible! We are so grateful for people and companies like Vie Aesthetics, who sponsor our event.

What does the future look like for Anna Kennedy Online?

My goal is for the charity to eventually become a foundation in the future. The charity has changed so many people’s lives, whether that is for our ambassadors, our champions or performers, we have given them a springboard to gain the confidence and feel like “I can do this!” .

This year's Autism Hero Awards 2021 take place on 20th November at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel. Tickets are on sale now via www.autismheroawards.com.

All proceeds for the evening will be donated to the Anna Kennedy Online Charity to continue its dynamic work in raising Autism awareness within society.