THIS week is national Autism Awareness week. Armed with little more than images of Dustin Hoffman in the hit Hollywood film Rain Man, reporter ANDREA MULDOON attended a meeting of the East Lancashire support group Families of Autistic Children working Together (FACT) to get an insight into the massive implications of the lifelong disability.

CHILDREN with autism have been described as living in a world of their own. Some have no speech, others have a limited ability to speak.

Autism can affect all degrees of mental ability, from those with severe learning difficulties to those with average intelligence.

The causes are poorly understood, although it is clear that autism is a biological brain disorder. There is no cure. Most autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviour. They find it difficult to understand the meaning of words and gestures.

They can not express their thoughts and desires and everything around them appears chaotic. They often behave in bizarre and unpredictable ways. They may stare into space for long periods, throw uncontrollable tantrums, show no interest in people, including their parents, and pursue strange repetitive activities with no apparent purpose.

Being told their child needs a good hiding is all part of normal life for their parents.

Christine and Gian Dillon know more than most about it.

The couple's two children Simon, six, and Nicola, five, are both autistic. "Everything becomes a major military operation," said Christine, of Tippet Close, Blackburn.

"Routines must be kept, so going out as a family is virtually impossible. We spend a lot of time running after our children.

"Other people just assume we haven't disciplined them. They just don't understand how a perfectly normal looking youngster can be disabled, which can be very upsetting."

The 10 families of FACT meet once a month to share experiences and information, organise trips and and give their youngsters a safe and stimulated play session.

Christine added: "Some of the children hardly sleep, and things other parents take for granted become a nightmare. Stress levels can go through the roof and it can be hard to keep down a job.

"Educational therapy at school can make life so much easier, but demand is high and resources are stretched to breaking point."

One of the mothers in the group is having tentative talks with her GP about secretin infusions, a pig hormone hailed by some as a "miracle" cure for autism in the USA. Only one child in Britain has been given the injections so far.

"We try and keep up to date on all the latest developments through the internet," said Christine. "We are all particularly interested in secretin at the moment but it is virtually impossible to get doctors to administer it even if you get the hormone itself through the internet."

Dawn and David Moore, of Greenhead Avenue, Little Harwood, had their lives turned upside down when their son Ethan, now six, was found to have a severe form of autism. Their second child Marissa, now 16 months old, has shown no signs of it.

Dawn said: "Autism really takes its toll on other siblings and relationships so we spent a long time thinking about whether to try for another child.

"Ethan is probably the worse affected child in the group. He doesn't speak, often has tantrums, lets out a high pitched wail and tries to hurt himself.

"If he were in callipers or a wheelchair I'm sure there would be more understanding. As it is we just have to keep a sense of humour and battle on."

Anybody interested in joining the group or helping to boost funds can ring 01254 760078.

Other support groups in the area include Children and Young Adults with Asperger Syndrome/Autism Support in East Lancashire (CASSEL). This week they are highlighting concerns about changes to the education system in Lancashire.

Fund-raising events include a sponsored walk by support worker Vanessa Walmsley, who works at Haslingden County Primary School, from Helmshore Textile Museum at 2pm on Sunday.

Rossendale-based secretary Rosalind Lord said: "The national organisation is concentrating on urging health professionals to 'open the door' to families because research shows support is inadequate.

"In this area we are more concerned with ensuring the education system meets the needs of our children."

Autism was highlighted last week when Burnley MP Peter Pike offered to take up the case of Paul Gibbons and his partner Amanda Floyd and five-year-old autistic daughter Rebecca. The couple, of Stoneyholme, Burnley, claimed social services and the health authority were not doing enough to help them cope.

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