British Psychological Society "Putting autism centre stage".

Rates of autism among the Somali community have been shown in several studies to be high, yet in the Somali language no word for the condition exists. People in this community with children who have been diagnosed with autism therefore encounter stigma, fear and a general lack of awareness of the condition. Indeed, Nura Aabe faced such a great deal of stigma after her son Zak was diagnosed with autism that she had to change her own social group entirely just to openly love her own son. Aabe wanted to ensure no other British Somali family would go through the same experiences as her.

In 2013 Aabe, now an Educational Psychology MSc graduate (University of Bristol), set up Autism Independence in Bristol to provide a support network for parents, particularly those in the British Somali community, to help them to cope with and understand the condition. After a degree in Early Childhood Studies and hearing anecdotal accounts of the stigma around autism among Somali parents in the city, she wanted concrete evidence of the challenges and barriers many face, not only in accessing NHS services but also in having good support networks from close family and friends.