South Lanarkshire Council has marked International Autism Pride Day by flying the autism pride flag, becoming one of only a handful of local authorities to do so. The flag, featuring a gold infinity symbol, represents the valuable contributions autistic individuals bring to community and civic life.
This year, the flag was raised by Sophie Davidson, a young autistic woman, with assistance from Ramon Hutchingson, coordinator of South Lanarkshire's Autism Resources Co-ordination Hub (ARCH). By raising the flag, Sophie represented female members of the autistic community, who have historically been an under-recognised group.
Aine McCrea, Chief Social Work Officer at South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, said: "Here in South Lanarkshire, we have a history of supporting the autistic community, including our work to support those, such as autistic females, who have in the past been acknowledged less by society than they should have been.
"We are proud to show our backing for International Autism Pride Day through the flag flying high outside our headquarters, as the day itself helps remind people of the positive contribution autistic people make in so many ways. However, even more important is that we will continue demonstrating the authority's long-standing commitment to promoting awareness and greater visibility for all our neuro-divergent community members and supporting them and their families in any way we can."
This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Autism Resources Co-ordination Hub, which provides a focal point for those with neuro-divergent conditions, their carers, and anyone working to support them. Aine added: "During the ten years, ARCH has continued to work collaboratively with interested stakeholders in all sectors and has provided services driven by the needs of the autistic community. We are proud of the success it has achieved over those years and look forward to it going from strength to strength, helping more people in more ways as it moves into its second decade."
