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Bertie was born 30 July 2012 and appeared to be a perfectly healthy and happy boy. However, 18 months later, there were signs something was not quite right as basic development milestones were being missed, and his behaviour was 'different'. A few months later, after consulting doctors in both Dubai and UK, it was confirmed Bertie had Autism and SPD (sensory processing disorder). Like most people, we had heard of it, but knew little of what it meant for Bertie, and us as a family. 

Today, Bertie has recently turned five and is a very active, lively, and thankfully, mostly happy little man. Development is very slow and he is very dependent on his Mum and Dad (Matt & Han) for everything, but there are signs of progress. For example, he has recently, (reluctantly!) started putting his own shoes on. He has not developed any speech, but he is learning to communicate with us in different ways. 'Finger pulling' is his speciality! He will take a hand and put it on whatever it is he wants. Or he will throw our hand in the direction of what it is he wants if he can't reach it! Being non-verbal is one of the many challenges he faces as gets older, but we're really optimistic, that with support, Bertie can lead a life with some level of independence in future.

We are really lucky to have really supportive family and lots of amazing friends to help make life as positive for us and Bertie as it can be. Not everyone is as blessed as we are, so raising awareness for Autism and SPD is a small way we can help others facing similar challenges. 

Facilities like Woodlands Meed school have, and do, help hundreds of kids develop life skills and coping mechanisms to improve their lives and help families cope with the challenges that come with caring for children with special needs. We are hoping Bertie will get a place at the school once we return to the UK in 2018/19. They, like many special needs schools, face constant funding challenges so we are delighted to help in any way we can.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by impaired social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. It is not a disease, so there is no cure. It is for life. SPD is a neurological disorder meaning people affected cannot process senses is same way as most of us take for granted. 

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