AHEAD of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, starting today, a charity has highlighted the need for neurodiversity-friendly approaches and education to be developed in all Scottish schools.

The Donaldson Trust made the plea for schools to address a lack of awareness and support for hidden conditions that affect around 15% of the UK population.

The Walk In My Shoes animation, which launches today, was created by Erin Davidson, a 17-year-old girl from Livingston, who shared her story of living with autism and the impact this can have on everyday life, but particularly during the early years of schooling.

The powerful film brings to life the often-hidden realities faced by many neurodiverse people across the UK.

This call is part of the national charity’s bid to increase the understanding of neurodiversity which covers a range of conditions, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s Syndrome and autism, many of which, without the correct understanding and support, result in social anxiety.

READ MORE: The Donaldson Trust launches plan to help ‘neurodivergent’ Scots

The Trust wants to encourage people across the UK to come together to support and improve the life experiences of neurodivergent individuals.

Released at a time when 72% of parents involved in the Not Included, Not Engaged, Not Involved survey said they felt school staff having a better understanding of how their child’s autism affects them, including their communication needs, would have made a difference to their child, tools like Walk In My Shoes are vitally important.

Davidson said: “I wanted to create this short film to give people an insight into what a day at school can be like for an autistic young person. While many people may know the word ‘autism’ that doesn’t mean they understand it or the impact it can have on people of all ages.

“My wish is for this animation to be used widely as a learning and development aid for school staff, professionals and families. I know I’m not just speaking for myself when I say that school can be an incredibly difficult environment for people with neurodiversities and I hope this animation will help staff and pupils understand what someone can be experiencing at school and the impact of these experiences both at school and at home.

“It can be incredibly isolating at times and easy to feel like you don’t belong or ‘fit in’ but that says more about society than it does about us as individuals.”

A collaborative tool, the short animation utilises the skills and expertise of some of the young people currently supported by the #JunX10n transitional support service offered by the Donaldson Trust. From contributing to the beautiful illustrations through to the stop motion animations, set design and creation, and additions to the music, it showcases the realities faced by many young people across the country and the impact that early experiences can have on adult life.

Laura Watkins, chief executive of the Donaldson Trust, said: “Today is the first day of Neurodiversity Celebration Week and it seemed a fitting tribute to release our first educational tool, Walk in My Shoes. As Scotland’s national charity for neurodiversity we aim to create similar tools for a range of neurodiversities, with our corporate and strategic partners.

“By developing this resource, we hope that education establishments will consider using the animation to show teachers and pupils from a young age what neurodiversity is and the impact a lack of understanding and support can have on individuals. If we look at the way society has changed its perceptions on mental health and the public discussions around this which are taking place across the country, we can see that a similar approach would benefit the awareness raising of neurodiversity across educational establishments. While neurodiversities can be hidden conditions, that doesn’t mean they should remain hidden. We need to talk about them publicly”