Why are you taking part in World Autism Awareness Week?

Supporting autistic people is my passion and since being recently diagnosed myself, I feel I can really connect with others. I work in a nursery school, working closely with a number of autistic children every year. From the helpline, to social media groups and articles in the charity’s magazine, the National Autistic Society has been very supportive to me and the families I work with. 

I would love to be able to spread the word about autism. I want to help create a world where everyone is accepted no matter how we all live our lives. 

It sounds like you have some amazing challenges planned. Can you tell us a bit more about them?

My plan is to do seven pieces of art connected to the seven continents of the world, while researching autism in those seven continents. I’d like to see how the numbers of people diagnosed differ across the world and how they are supported, based on where in the world they live and what their cultural background is.  

I’m also going to be filming myself doing British Sign Language/Sign Supported English/Makaton to seven different songs. And I’ll be doing a seven-minute workout, each day of the week. 

You can see how Ettie is getting on with her challenges in her videos below

You can see how Ettie's fundraising efforts are going by visiting her JustGiving page.