AUTISM, the 'invisible disability', is in the public eye for seven days.

A national awareness week is being held to make people aware of a syndrome which affects an estimated 120,000 people in Britain.

Support groups for families of sufferers say the publicity is needed to stop ignorance feeding prejudice - many people frown on autistic children's behaviour because they assume they are ill-disciplined.

Sufferers tend to have difficulties with relating to other people, learning and adapting to everyday life, but they can display talents in narrow, non-social fields.

Brenda Evans, of Worsthorne, speaks for many when she describes what happened with her five-year-old grand-daughter, who has autism.

"We took her to see Father Christmas in a shopping centre, and to begin with she was fine," she says.

"But when she came out she made such a noise that all the people came out of the shops and stared as if we were animals."

That is this kind of attitude that CASSEL, the East Lancashire group for families of sufferers, wants to change.

The group also wants to let people know it exists so that those who need help can get in touch.

"The way many people don't understand the problem can be very upsetting, and you can feel totally isolated," said Mrs Evans.

"It took me two years to find a support group so that my daughter would have someone besides me to talk to who would understand."

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