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Hi, Charlotte. 
Hello. 

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How are you? 
I'm good, thank you. 

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Good, good, good. 
So we first met you at 

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Parliament. 
Yeah. 

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And we were, like, blown away 
by. 

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How are you, 16? 
Yeah. 

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Yeah, I'm 16. 
You were 16 then as well. 

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Yeah. 
OK. 

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You gave a speech. 
Yeah. 

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Loads of people were giving 
speeches. 

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Yeah. 
But you just kind of stood out. 

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I mean, everybody, we were just 
stood there, weren't We were 

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watching everybody saying stuff.
And then when you were speaking,

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we were just like, holy crap. 
And everyone around us was going

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holy crap, because you just 
spoke very eloquently, very 

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confidently, something I 
definitely wouldn't have been 

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doing at 16 years old. 
So everyone was really 

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impressed. 
So why were you there? 

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Why were you talking? 
What? 

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What were you there? 
For so I started my Instagram 

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not that long ago really. 
August last year started 

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following Send Sanctuary, but it
was formerly known as SEND 

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Reform. 
I think Amy was advertising the 

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fight for ordinary, asking for 
speakers. 

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And I was like, oh, put myself 
forward. 

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So I put myself forward only two
weeks before the actual rally, 

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put a speech together, and then 
that she did it. 

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But I've never done public 
speaking. 

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Before. 
Was that the first time you'd 

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done any public speaking? 
Oh, that's even better. 

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Yeah. 
Oh, I thought you'd done stuff 

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like that before. 
No, never. 

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You took. 
It in your stride like. 

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I wouldn't even put my hand up 
in class. 

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Like nothing. 
And then I went and did that. 

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So you wouldn't put your hand up
in class to speak, but you go to

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Westminster outside the Houses 
of Parliament surrounded by 

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people you don't know, 
politicians and yeah, and just 

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take a microphone and give a 
prepared speech, Yeah. 

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And we bottled it. 
And we were asked to do it. 

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We said no, we were. 
Like no and. 

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Then you did it. 
You did it much better than we 

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we, we could have done. 
Yeah, absolutely. 

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And swore, probably. 
So yeah. 

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You did very well, so tell us 
why you're involved in the 

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autism. 
Community because this is a 

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great story. 
Massively amazing story. 

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So I'm autistic and I've got 
ADHD. 

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I was only actually diagnosed 
with ADHD though end of October.

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So all of primary school I was 
just shy. 

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Well, I wasn't shy, I was 
autistic. 

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I was labelled as shy. 
Lockdown came and I think it was

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then really that it really stood
out to me. 

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OK, I don't think I am just shy,
I think I might be autistic and 

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I watched a programme called The
A Word. 

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It was about a non verbal little
boy and I think it was just 

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going around during lockdown. 
So I watched that. 

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I was only 10 at the time and it
was my grandparents that got me 

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onto that. 
That was BBC series, wasn't it? 

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Yeah, I think it was. 
That, yeah, very, very good. 

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It was very good. 
I loved it. 

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Watched that and I was there. 
I saw a lot of similarities 

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between me and the little boy, 
started looking up autism 

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because I had access to an iPad,
I had access to the Internet, 

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proposed it to my parents. 
I think it was, I love that. 

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June 2020. 
You, you, you, you researched 

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it. 
Yeah, at the age of 10 years 

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old. 
Gathered the evidence and then 

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proposed it to your parents. 
Said we need to have a 

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discussion. 
I have a proposition for you. 

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Yes. 
You better take a seat. 

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How did they take it? 
They didn't believe me at first 

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because even though it wasn't 
their fault of their own, 

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there's a very stiff 
stereotypical view on autism I 

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think. 
I think they just pictured like 

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a 5 year old boy obsessed with 
trains and because I didn't 

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present in that way they were 
like no you're not autistic 

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you're just shy. 
And it took a lot for them to 

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finally came in. 
That's a fairpoint though, 

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because we've talked about this.
My initial exposure to autism 

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was that Lydia would line things
up in a line, have something 

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that she was overly passionate 
about and that would be the only

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thing, or she'd arranged things 
in colours or anything else like

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that. 
And we have none of that 

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whatsoever. 
And we've talked about sort of 

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certain programmes where they 
always depict somebody who's 

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autistic in a certain way, and 
that was my only understanding 

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as to what an autistic person 
would be like. 

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So I completely understand where
your parents were coming from. 

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Yeah. 
Oh yeah, totally. 

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I mean and, and I've said it. 
We want more evidence from you, 

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Charlotte. 
Where is it? 

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The So what happened? 
What happened next then? 

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So my mum eventually said OK, 
phoned up the GP, yeah, I was 

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put on the autism pathway and I 
was on that pathway for almost 

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three years before I got my 
diagnosis. 

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So that's what mum is at 10 to 
13, we talking that age. 

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Group so I was 11. 11 to 14. 
Yeah, yeah, literally a month 

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after my 14th birthday. 
Wow, yeah. 

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So I went half of secondary 
school undiagnosed. 

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How did you feel when you got 
it, when you got that diagnosis?

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Did you? 
Feel relieved. 

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Yeah. 
It didn't really change much 

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because I knew I was autistic. 
Yeah, that didn't change my 

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opinion of myself, but it was. 
Just clarity, yeah. 

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And recognition from outside. 
In Absolutely. 

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And I knew myself more, yeah. 
Yeah, what do? 

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You What about your friends? 
Did you have a good friend 

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group? 
Yeah. 

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You seem to now I see on social 
media you got really good 

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friends. 
I've got a lot of friends and 

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I've met a lot of people through
Instagram, through the same 

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community. 
So I met Charlie back there. 

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I met you too. 
Everyone knows me. 

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Yeah, I met a lot of people on 
there. 

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Cool, that was good. 
It was really good to meet you 

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in London. 
Yeah, it was really good. 

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Yeah, I loved it. 
Yeah, yeah, you must have. 

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You must have got some followers
when you were down there. 

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Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 
So after you get your diagnosis,

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then, I mean, you're kind of sat
there, but I'm kind of asking 

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questions that your mum might 
want to answer. 

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But in fact, I will. 
I'm just going to ask you, what 

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was it like finding out that 
that she was autistic? 

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Was it, was it, I mean, was it 
upsetting or did it answer a lot

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of questions was? 
Clarification and acceptance, I 

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suppose that somebody 
acknowledged why she was, why 

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she was, how she. 
Was and you recognised that the 

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that the way she was was 
different when. 

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When she did the she she did. 
But then when we were waiting 

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for when she was on the pathway,
I was doing my own research. 

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And it probably been there since
they obviously she was born 

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autistic. 
And it's when you do the 

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research and you start thinking,
God, you know, Charlotte, 

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Charlotte, Charlotte. 
So when the diagnosis was given,

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it was like that final bit of 
the puzzle that clicked in, you 

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know, and yeah. 
And then people say, well, why? 

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Why do you want to label her? 
It's, it's not giving her a 

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label. 
It then brings that support that

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she needed. 
Yeah, through education. 

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It's with friends and family. 
Accepting that she is, is 

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different. 
She's autistic. 

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Yeah. 
Yeah, you know. 

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So she does have different ways 
and different quirks and 

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everything. 
I don't think that there's 

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anything wrong with her, no, 
just because she does things 

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differently. 
Except her for who she. 

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Is have you noticed? 
That's a, that's a very proud 

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mum there, that's a. 
Very proud mum have have have 

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you noticed her flourish since 
getting the recognition and the 

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help and. 
That's a big, that's a that's a 

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really big thing though. 
You said about getting the 

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label. 
Yeah, OK. 

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She was diagnosed autistic the 
summer of 2023. 

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Charlotte has gone through a 
really tough couple of years and

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she had a really, really bad 
experience with levels of 

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support at her secondary school.
It took us a while to get an 

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EHCP. 
As we all know, it's a national 

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crisis and just takes forever. 
See a lot of people nodding 

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their heads in the background 
there. 

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Charlotte's also been diagnosed 
with functional neurological 

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disorder and last year we went 
through an awful time. 

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She had an unprecedented amount 
of seizures, everything that 

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went with that. 
And I think when she was in 

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hospital with everything going 
on, she set up this account 

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because she wanted people to see
her and also perhaps look at her

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and get support. 
And through that she has also 

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got such a support as well. 
And that's where I've seen a 

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massive change in her is the 
same community is fantastic. 

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It's a massive family. 
And it's, I think knowing that 

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she isn't the only one, I'm not 
the only mum going through it. 

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There is so much the warmth and 
support that we all get from it.

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And she's just grown. 
I mean she's left secondary 

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education now with no GCS. 
ES overrated. 

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It's overrated because you 
understand. 

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It now, it's in your time. 
Yeah, you do it in your time. 

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She's now at a mainstream 
college with an EHCP. 

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Yeah, we've had some teething 
problems, but I think it's just 

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bedding in and getting to know 
her. 

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She's flying. 
What? 

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Flying, Yeah. 
Apparently so, she's found her 

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people. 
Yeah. 

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That can support her and college
to Charlotte is is massive. 

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She's doing childcare because 
she wants to hopefully get into 

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the world of SEND and 
everything. 

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And she's found her niche. 
And with that, everything else 

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is starting to to philtre 
through. 

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Yeah, she's, she's participates 
now in a lot of sort of 

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extracurricular activities. 
She's found friends, and I mean 

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friends who understand her. 
When I look back now to what she

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was like last year, the year 
before, we've had some real 

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tricky problems, you know, 
because we all know autism can 

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affect mental health. 
As well, Yeah. 

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She's hit. 
A lot of bumps in the road 

195
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smashing it now though. 
Mate, what, what I think's why 

196
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I'm so proud of her. 
Yeah, absolutely. 

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What I think is quite nice is 
that you set this account up 

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00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,960
now, and we know it's absolutely
flying, is that there's going to

199
00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,400
be other kids out there who are 
10. 

200
00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:08,760
Yeah, 11, exactly where you are 
going. 

201
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,640
I've just found this account. 
I'm doing some research, and 

202
00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,040
they'll be presenting it to 
their parents, the evidence and 

203
00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,800
saying, look, proposal bias. 
I see myself in in Charlotte. 

204
00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:21,600
Yeah. 
And you're just giving it back, 

205
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,520
passing it on. 
So thank you very much for doing

206
00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:24,600
that. 
I really appreciate it. 

207
00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,280
And you enjoy it as well, don't 
you? 

208
00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:31,760
Yeah. 
You enjoy it, yeah. 

209
00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,360
Because you know you're doing 
something that's worthwhile in 

210
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:34,200
giving back. 
Yeah. 

211
00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:35,960
So what's on the horizon for 
next year? 

212
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:41,040
What's your big goal? 
So on the 17th of January there 

213
00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:46,440
is a March happening in London 
about the children's school and 

214
00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:47,640
well-being. 
But I think it is. 

215
00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:53,000
So we go into that and yeah, 
just see where we go. 

216
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,560
See where we go? 
Oh fantastic. 

217
00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,240
Yeah, let's make a difference on
Instagram. 

218
00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:01,560
Eve probably do some bits with 
her. 

219
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,480
I've got very close with her I 
think through Instagram because 

220
00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:12,400
there's not many teen accounts 
as such on Instagram of people 

221
00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,440
sharing their story. 
It's mainly parents, mums 

222
00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,040
especially I find. 
And you and. 

223
00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:25,520
Me, yeah. 
So I attend Youth Parliament too

224
00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,280
weekly so. 
Weekly. 

225
00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:33,080
Yeah, so every Wednesday I'll go
to like the local authorities 

226
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,200
and sit with counsellors and 
stuff and. 

227
00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,760
Decision makers. 
Yeah, the big people, so. 

228
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,360
You're influencing them. 
Yeah. 

229
00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,440
So you're an influencer? 
And do you feel like when you go

230
00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:46,880
every week, do you feel like 
they're listening? 

231
00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,960
Sometimes, yeah, yeah. 
Most of the time, yeah, but 

232
00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,600
having you there is going to be 
different than just having a 

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00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:54,320
load of adults just going on. 
About it, yeah, yeah. 

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00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:56,920
And that's why I like it, 
because when it's adults, it's 

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00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,320
like just another adult. 
Yeah, but when it's a child. 

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00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,280
I think sometimes they do as 
well. 

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00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,120
Yeah. 
That's fantastic. 

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00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,440
Mate, killing it. 
Thanks. 

239
00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,120
Killing it anyway, awesome 
meeting you. 

240
00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,360
Yeah. 
Thank you for everything you're 

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00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:12,880
doing. 
You are absolutely smashing. 

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00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,680
You want to give a shout out to 
your account? 

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00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:15,560
Yeah, do it. 
Shout. 

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00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:16,720
Out. 
Shout out. 

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00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,720
Shout out. 
Yeah, so my account is called 

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00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:27,240
Audi HD dot F&D underscore and 
me, but I've got the what's it 

247
00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,360
called? 
QR code on my phone if you want 

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00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,440
to scan it. 
We'll link it to this. 

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00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,920
Yeah, we get it out so. 
Thank you very much. 

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00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,360
Thank you very much. 
Charlotte.