ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author begins with the uphill battle to get an Education, Health and Care Plan for Talia. Talia was born seven years after Olivia. She was different: very quiet, avoided affection and liked to play alone. Talia displayed no traits that most people would have at the time considered autistic, but the onset of school prompted some very different behaviour at home. Talia was quiet in school but longed for friendship and was definitely sociable. Imogen came along some five years after Talia, and she was adorably cute, chatty funny, quirky and highly sociable. Throughout primary school, staff refused to acknowledge Talia’s problems. New school strategies included keeping an eye on her during playtimes and helping her with her friendships, but more than anything staff began to look at the classroom, the environment and their own style of teaching through Talia’s eyes and understand where difficulties may arise.
