00:00I don't like singing out in public, but I feel like I can now.
00:07In Gillingham, members of Club Awesome are celebrating Autistic Pride Day with friends
00:11and family, spending the day playing games, baking and having fun together.
00:16Autistic Pride Day is a neurodiversity movement made for autistic people by autistic people.
00:22And it encourages individuals to be their genuine self.
00:26When I got to school, I never had a play date with anyone or nothing, but I have friends
00:34and I've had play dates with them, we met up.
00:37I feel like it's important to have these places so people can open up.
00:44I've made a lot of friends here and some people might find it a little hard to make friends,
00:50but I feel like they just open up when they do this.
00:54They just completely act differently, they just open up.
00:59It's like a flower just opening.
01:02I feel like this is a safe space and I really feel like I can express myself.
01:11But the club is more than just a place for children.
01:13It also brings parents together, creating a supportive community for families.
01:18My three children are all autistic, but they also have a rare genetic condition.
01:23My, Caitlin, she couldn't walk very well.
01:27She was non-verbal for a long time.
01:28She didn't speak until she was seven.
01:30And she was a little girl on the playground that nobody ever invited to birthday parties.
01:34She was left out.
01:35I was lonely.
01:36She was lonely.
01:37Not that she realised that she was lonely, but it was quite isolating.
01:39So I wanted to get children together like her so then I can meet parents like me and hopefully grow
01:46our world a little bit.
01:47There isn't many places where we can bring our children and they can just be themselves and that they don't
01:53have to hide a mask.
01:55And it's about belonging.
01:58It's not just for the children.
02:00Openly stimming, vocalising and demanding the same respect as others is autistic pride in action.
02:06And for the children here today, surrounded by a community that celebrates them, being proud of who they are comes
02:12naturally.
02:14Maisie Walker for KNTV, Gillingham.
02:16Let's see on the schief.
02:16Hi.
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