Dad's bid to make Peterborough an autism-friendly city

Campaigner Dan Harris said he wanted to see the boards introduced across Britain and in other countries

A father who wants to help make a city one of the most autistic-friendly places in the UK is creating a network of signs to help non-speaking children communicate in public spaces.

Dan Harris, from Peterborough, whose son Joshie is autistic, has secured funding for 100 picture boards in the city,

They help people to communicate through images.

He said: "We no longer want autism to be hidden."

The communication boards include symbols representing common words and phrases that enable non-speaking people to communicate with others.

Autism campaigner Dan Harris, seen here with son Joshie, said the signs help with communication

The idea for the picture boards came through Mr Harris' son, nine-year-old son Joshie, who points to pictures on a electronic tablet to communicate.

Mr Harris said: "He is a fantastically intelligent little boy but because he is non-speaking he has to communicate using different mechanisms."

One of the communication boards was installed in Longthorpe Village Park

Mr Harris got funding for the first communication board last year. Now government money has been secured through Peterborough City Council to create a network across the city and Mr Harris would like it to go further.

"This is a proof of concept. There are about 3,000 autistic people in Peterborough and it's important that the needs of that community are met."

He said he wanted to see the boards introduced across Britain and in other countries.

Mr Harris, who is also founder of the charity Neurodiversity in Business, which campaigns for more awareness, said: "This board is incredibly important because it doesn't just help non-speaking people communicate, but it also promotes discussions."

We want autistic people to be part of society. Dad, Dan Harris, with son, Joshie

He said "autism acceptance can only be preceded by autism awareness".

The boards cost £6,000 and are funded through a combination of the charity and the local councillor grants.

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