0:00:09 > 0:00:12I know only too well how hectic life can get,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15being a proud mother of four beautiful children as well as
0:00:15 > 0:00:17a vocal coach and a television presenter.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Don't worry, we've still got another question to go...
0:00:20 > 0:00:25But it's nothing compared to the challenges my family and I face every day at home.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Two of my girls have been diagnosed with conditions
0:00:29 > 0:00:32on the autistic spectrum.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34This means they spend a lot of time
0:00:34 > 0:00:37confused as to what's going on in the world around them.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Their senses are bombarded
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and they often feel that no-one understands them.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46This can lead to explosive behaviour and feelings of utter isolation.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50So, as a parent, I fully understand the relentless challenges faced
0:00:50 > 0:00:54by families dealing with autism.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Can you touch your head? >
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Touch your tummy? >
0:00:58 > 0:01:05Nicola's seven-year-old daughter Claudia was diagnosed with severe autism three-and-a-half-years ago.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12Her autism affects her ability to communicate quite significantly.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Her speech is very limited.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Can you say, "swimming"?
0:01:19 > 0:01:24'Because of her lack of understanding, that leads to a lot of confusion, frustration,'
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and can lead to a lot of aggression.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Certain frequencies of noises can really upset and distress her.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35She is seven-and-a-half years old,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38but in the house she requires constant supervision.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43For families looking after a child with autism,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45every day is a challenge.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50But like a lot of parents, Nicola knew nothing of her daughter's condition.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54I felt quite lost and remember saying to my GP, "What can you do?"
0:01:54 > 0:01:58And the GP saying, "Well, it's not really medical, there's nothing I can do."
0:01:58 > 0:02:02So I did feel that I was quite on my own with it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Every day, someone comes to Claudia's home to help her
0:02:06 > 0:02:09with the skills she needs to make her way through life.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Well done! You can go on the trampoline. Well done.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Half-a-million people in the UK have some form of autism.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19It is a lifelong neurological disability that affects
0:02:19 > 0:02:24how a person communicates with others and makes sense of the world around them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27But very little is known about the best way of helping
0:02:27 > 0:02:29these individuals and their families.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This is where Research Autism helps.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35They're a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and outlook for those affected by autism.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Joe has Asperger's - a form of autism,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49but he was only diagnosed with his condition when he was 20 years old.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It's such a frightening and lonely experience when you are growing up,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56and you are different to other people.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58There is a feeling of being left behind and I just wish
0:02:58 > 0:03:02I could put across how lonely and scary it is.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05You know there is something wrong, something different.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08You just feel like you're the failure, it's your fault.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Like many people living with autism,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Joe developed other health problems as he was growing up.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22I'd have anxiety and depression throughout my life.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25I think my perception can be faulty, which causes me to be anxious.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31For Joe, life became so difficult to cope with that, at 19, he attempted suicide.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I was just desperate for somebody to understand.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I felt isolated, I felt villainised.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I felt like I was a bad person, not accepted, didn't have any friends.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Didn't know where to go in the future.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was a cry for help.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53But there is a charity that is trying to help people like Joe.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Research Autism is the only charity exclusively dedicated to
0:03:57 > 0:04:01research into the effectiveness of therapeutic,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04social, behavioural and other treatments in autism.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Through their work, the charity help to develop
0:04:08 > 0:04:11practical solutions to the problems that are faced every day.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16I've come to meet Lea and her seven-year-old son Luke
0:04:16 > 0:04:20who has Asperger's Syndrome.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Like 70% of children with autism, he has problems sleeping
0:04:23 > 0:04:26but hope may be at hand.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29How does a lack of sleep affect Luke's learning?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31At school, he just can't cope, he's so tired.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35He gets wound. Everything gets on top of him. He's in the classroom,
0:04:35 > 0:04:36he can't cope, he's tired.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It all builds up and he runs out the classroom. He's had panic attacks.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43He's got himself in such a place he can't breathe.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The more he is stressed, the more he feels his lungs are filling up
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- with water and he is just joking. - How does it affect you?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It impacts hugely on the family. I work full-time as well.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56So I am up with Luke in the night.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59You feel you're walking around with weights on your shoulders.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01You just feel tired.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04So what kind of ideas have you tried in the past to help him
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- get to sleep and sleep through the night?- Absolutely everything!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10I'd rather not have him on medication.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15I'm hoping we can find alternative methods to try and help him sleep.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18One of Research Autism's key areas
0:05:18 > 0:05:20is helping children with these problems.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Here at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London, Dr Paul Gringras
0:05:25 > 0:05:28is leading a project that could provide a solution.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Particularly for children, the importance of sleep is huge.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36A lot of important brain development goes on while we're sleeping.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Called the Snuggledown Project, the team are trying
0:05:39 > 0:05:43a sensory weighted blanket designed to help children like Luke.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Inside it, this blanket has actually got steel shot,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50so it makes it very very heavy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54It gives comforting, deep pressure throughout the night.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56We have these wristwatch-type devices.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01They have a clever little motion sensor inside that tells us
0:06:01 > 0:06:04when the child was asleep or was awake, basically.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07If we can increase the amount of sleep that these children get
0:06:07 > 0:06:09even by half an hour a night,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13we would expect there to be daytime behavioural differences.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Luke is just one of a number of children about to start using
0:06:16 > 0:06:18this blanket.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Lea is hopeful it could make a world of difference.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24If Snuggledown works, what would that mean for Luke?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It would be lovely if it worked.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29He would just feel happier. I think he'd excel more at school.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31It would give him more energy
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and I think life would be a lot easier to cope with.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Research Autism is making a real difference to people's lives.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Through their research, they're gaining a greater
0:06:41 > 0:06:44understanding of the needs of people living with the condition,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47helping them to overcome the challenges they face
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and helping them to realise their potential.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53You want a tickle? Again?!
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Claudia has recently been part of a Research Autism study to help
0:06:57 > 0:07:01gain better insight into her condition.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Real evidence-based research into the best kind of
0:07:04 > 0:07:09education approach or the best way to approach behaviour management
0:07:09 > 0:07:13would give you the confidence to try those different things.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Knowing that you're more likely to succeed.
0:07:18 > 0:07:2485% of adults with autism aren't in full-time paid employment.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But with the right support, there is hope for those looking for work
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and trying to lead an independent life - like Joe.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Through the mentorship scheme they have, Research Autism can help...
0:07:36 > 0:07:39young adults maybe avoid some of the situations I've been into,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43speaking to people like me, Research Autism can put that information
0:07:43 > 0:07:44forward for ideal practice.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I think that is the key to how we can help people in future.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53With your help, Research Autism can provide the life-changing
0:07:53 > 0:07:57research that people with autism and their families so desperately need.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Please go to the website...
0:08:02 > 0:08:03where you can donate.
0:08:03 > 0:08:09If you don't have access to the internet, then call...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12If you can't get through, then please, please, keep trying.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18You can also donate £10 by texting donate to 70121.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Texts cost £10 plus your standard network message charge.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25The whole £10 goes to Research Autism.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Full terms and conditions can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Telephone calls are free from most landlines.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Some networks and mobile operators will charge for these calls.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Or if you'd like to post a donation,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44please make your cheque payable to Research Autism and send it to...
0:08:47 > 0:08:50..writing Research Autism on the back of the envelope.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Remember, if you are a UK taxpayer, the charity can collect Gift Aid
0:08:54 > 0:08:57on your donation, worth another 25%.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Just send in a note saying you want your donation to be subject
0:09:00 > 0:09:04to Gift Aid, include the date, your full name and address.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Thank you.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd