In recent years, autism awareness has taken a huge leap.
More schools and places of work want to learn about the disorder in a bid to allow those who have it to feel comfortable in wider society.
Gary Doherty is an organiser and motivational speaker who runs TED talks and events in Derry. He also has two grandsons with autism.
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Gary told MyDerry that his family had faced struggles while watching their grandsons get older.
He said: “When my daughter had her first son, it was quickly apparent that he may have been autistic. We got an official diagnosis some time after. The same happened with her second son two years later.
“As a father of three children myself, I had not experienced raising an autistic child before. However, the main challenges myself and my family have faced in helping my daughter raise her two sons have been the challenges society has put on us.”
Education in particular still presents difficulties, he said.
“My grandson went to nursery and was put in a room…
