My autistic son changed the trajectory of my life. Raising him in a world not ready to embrace his differences inspired me to help others understand the needs of children, parents & teachers dealing with autism. After a heartbreaking bullying incident at school, I chose to speak directly to my son’s peers via a YouTube video asking them to be kind. This received a huge response & reached his peers. I then wrote a book, but it wasn’t enough, I wanted to provide a solution. We all crave a sense of belonging and want to feel connected. The MATES programmes were created based on this premise.