More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK, which is an estimated 700,000 people. Many of these people and their families do not travel because they are concerned with the changes and disruptions in routines that traveling today requires.

Have you ever thought about what it’s like for someone with autism to navigate the unusual processes and procedures of air travel?

In April 2017 Shannon Airport in Ireland opened Europe’s first sensory room, which offers a calm space for globetrotting kids with sensory sensitivities, and their caregivers. The mellow space has low lighting and spa-like music. There are colour-changing LEDs, an undulating wavy wall, and cloud and solar system projections which the children and free to play with and explore.

Funded by The Big Lottery, Dr Stephen Beyer and teams award-winning Engage to Change project was launched in 2016 and aims to work with 800 employers across Wales to help 1,000 young people with learning disability and/or autism to develop their employment skills.

It is the first initiative of its kind in Wales, supporting young people to gain experience in the workplace and develop transferable skills through a person-centred approach. This means one-to-one job coaching and specialist employment support for both the young person and employer.

In collaboration with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board the National Centrre for Mental Health (NCMH) have developed a new programme which aims to support people with both a learning disability and a mood disorder.

The Mood Awareness Programme (MAP) is a pioneering psycho-education course for people with a learning disability to acquire techniques and strategies to help them manage their mental health, experience reduced symptoms and have longer periods of good mental health.