EXCLUSIVE: Dundee to become Scotland's second autism friendly city

Talks have taken place to introduce measures to make people with condition feel more comfortable in public.

Author: Hazel MartinPublished 1st Feb 2018
Last updated 1st Feb 2018

Plans are in place to make Dundee the county's second autism friendly city.

The scheme would see measures introduced to make children and adults living with the condition feel more at ease in public places.

It is hoped that places like cinemas, museums and shopping centres will soon be fitted with facilities like quiet rooms, so people have somewhere to feel safe if they are feeling overwhelmed.

The idea that has already been rolled out across Glasgow.

Dundee City Council's deputy convenor of children and family services convenor, Roisin Smith is leading the plans.

She became a member of the National Autistic Society after her son was diagnosed with autism just before his eighteenth birthday.

She said: "When your child is having a meltdown and people are looking at you, there can sometimes be that misconception that they are badly behaved, rather than understanding that there is something real going on, so it is a safe place for parents as well.

"My son is twenty and a a lot of people and a lot of noise can be really overwhelming and there can be that need to go away and have that quiet time to calm down, and not everyone is aware of that".

"We want to be really ambitious about what we want to achieve in Dundee.

"We have said 'bring us everything that we could possibly do', and the we will be able to look at what we can do".

Initial talks have taken place, with Dundee City Council now looking to bring organisations from across the city on board.