CARING for a child with autism can leave many parents feeling unsupported, judged and lost.

They find themselves confronted with a world of people who do not understand their child’s condition and can feel as if there is nowhere to turn.

Hayley Goodfellow and Spencer Stamp are trying their best to put this issue right.

To raise awareness of the difficulties of raising an autistic child and to mark World Autism Awareness Week, the two hard-working parents have decided to share their story.

Hayley, 36, of Stourview Close, Mistley, says her son Ashton was diagnosed with autism when he was seven, but the signs were there long before.

“I don’t think I knew much about autism at all until my son was diagnosed, I remember visiting a lot of Facebook pages to look for advice – there didn’t seem to be much support out there,” she said.

“He was getting too aggressive and wasn’t improving, there were signs at school. He wouldn’t mix well and would get upset.

“When he was about three we had to take him out of school for a while, I was pregnant with my third son at the time. The school said he wasn’t getting on with children, spending time on his own, talking to adults more than other kids.

“He was always clever with computers as well, around that time he bought an iMac on Ebay for £1,000 – that was a shock.”

Ashton, now aged nine, was eventually referred to a paediatrician and in 2015 was found to have Sensory Processing Disorder, autism and Spina Bifda Occulta.

“We had our worries about him but when we were told, it hit quite hard,” said Hayley.

“We were quite upset, worried people would judge your child in some way.

“It is difficult and often heartbreaking, he has gotten quite upset and depressed. You wish you could take it away, but at the same time you love him for who he is.

“You just want everyone to understand why he behaves like he does.”

“The paediatrician has explained because autism has such a big spectrum, when he’s older he might well be very anxious and depressed.”

Since January, Hayley has hosted a gaming night every month for her son and other autistic children at Fuse, a video game store in High Street, Dovercourt.

“Over time I got to speak to parents with children with autism and decided to start this group,” she said.

“My son really likes playing online games like Minecraft but I felt it wasn’t really safe for him to be online alone.

“I thought maybe Spencer, who owns Fuse and has an autistic son himself, could hold a games night for them.

“He thought it was a brilliant idea and he has always liked to raise awareness of the issues surrounding autism.”

She added: “It has been really nice, the parents stop off and have a cup of tea and talk things through.

“It gives them the chance to talk to parents going through the same issues and problems and just to have a chat.

“It has been so positive so far and it is nice to hear it has made a bit of a difference.

“When Ashton speaks to children they don’t really get what he talks about, they don’t understand him and are not on the same page.

“This group has allowed him to make friends with other children going through the same issues.”

Spencer Stamp, 44, from Dovercourt, says public awareness of the condition has been an issue close to his heart since his son Michael, eight, was diagnosed four years ago.

While he admits it has been a “battle” to get the support Michael needs, he has been delighted with how the gaming group has helped youngsters like his son.

“The gaming night has been working well, the children who come in love it,” he said. “It gives them a chance to socialise with children they have a lot in common with. It gets them out of their shell.

“They love it, it is great to get them out and chatting with each other.”

He added: “It is very, very difficult as a parent. Parenting is a constant job that takes 100 per cent of your time. For parents of children with autism it takes up 120 per cent of your time.

“I feel like children with autism tend to get pushed to the wayside, it is a long and hard battle.

“There are improvements though – now I just dismiss everything negative.

“We had an incident a little while ago where we went to a restaurant with Michael and had a meal.

"This isn’t something we would normally do with him.

“Within 15 minutes I was holding him down on the floor while he was kicking and lashing out, having an episode.

“People were looking over and obviously thinking he is just misbehaving.

“But I discovered I just didn’t care what other people think anymore.

“Michael suffers from anger and aggression.

"What many people don’t understand is this isn’t because he is naughty, he is literally having a meltdown and is not able to cope because of his condition.”

Around 700,000 people in the UK are living with autism.

The disability is lifelong and affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.

As autism is a spectrum condition, it will affect sufferers in different ways, with some having learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions.

To contact Spencer, call Fuse on 01255 554429.