Autism Show – March 2025

On Daytime, Aston was joined by his regular contributor Anna Kennedy OBE, founder of autism charity Annakennedyonline. They spoke the recent Autism Hero Awards that took place at Holiday Inn, Regents Park, London where their guests were 3 recipients of an Autism Hero Award.

The first of Aston and Anna’s guests was Parent/Carer of the Year Autism Hero Award recipient Nicole Simmons.

The second of Aston and Anna’s guest was Human Animal Bond Autism Hero Award recipient Philippa Sjoberg.

The third of Aston and Anna’s guest was Support Group of the Year Autism Hero Award recipient Kim Drake from Little Heroes ASD Support Group.

Anna had this to say after the show:

“Another busy month for Aston and I on ‘ All things Autism in Essex ‘ 

We were talking about the Autism Hero Awards and announced all the winners on air. 

We were excited to interview three of our winners during the programme: Nicole Simmons, Kim Drake and Philippa Jane Sjoberg.

Nicole Simmons:

Nicole is just amazing and nothing baffles her; her family say. She gets up and shows up, she gives 100% every single day to her 4 children. Nicole shows kindness, compassion, empathy and is a positive role model for them. She helps them grow in a way that they can try and understand the world.

Nicole hides her tiredness very well and just keeps going. She shows her children as many experiences as she can whilst allowing for their needs and coping mechanisms. Nicole is always the first parent to offer help to other parents with children on the spectrum including helping them with their EHCP applications so that other children and their families can get the help and support they need. Ralph and Connie are twins and do not sleep very well, Nicole is sometimes up 5 or 6 times through the night with her children to settle them and most days she has to go to her place of employment in customer service and be bright and sunny when all she really needs is 8 hours sleep!

Kim Drake- Little Hero’s ASD Support Group:

Little Heroes is a support group for parents and family of children with a diagnosis of or potential diagnosis of ASD. Little Heroes ASD Support Group started off as a once-a-month coffee morning at a local children’s centre. The session gradually got more and more popular, and the sessions started to run once a week. Everything was built on volunteers – Kim was a parent herself of an autistic child, therefore had lived experience. She gave up her time every week to help support others, not long after autism became a big part of her life. Her son Alfie was diagnosed at the age of 3, and to Kim this was a whole new world. Kim battled her own worries to create a safe space for families within the local area of whom were all in the same position. Little Heroes ASD Support Group gradually outgrew the small children’s centre of which they based the sessions out of and had to look for a new home. 11 years later, Little Heroes ASD Support Group is still growing. They support over 700 families within the local area The support group/charity is self-funded, and now has 5 staff members on board. Each staff member has a child or children on the autism spectrum, and the volunteers all have lived experience also. Kim devotes all of her spare time to the support group, and works endless hours behind the scenes to keep everything up and running, this includes numerous grant applications to keep the sessions running. They are in the process of moving to their forever hub, where they will again be able to expand their sessions and support hundreds more families.

Philippa Jane Sjoberg and Scrumpy:

Philippa is a late diagnosed autistic woman who has also been physically disabled for the past 15 years. Dogs have been in her life for over 30 years, and she assists other people with any disability to owner-train their dogs to go with them and support them whatever they want to do. Her older dog Scrumpy, supports her with her physical disability- picking up things she drops, getting things for her, helping her undress etc. She loves to work for Phillippa and the joy it brings to her to help her means that she doesn’t mind asking for help!  The bond between her dogs and her is more than companionship—it’s a deep, unspoken connection that makes everyday life easier and more joyful. As someone with autism, Philippa experiences the world uniquely, often feeling overwhelmed by sensory input, social situations, or unexpected changes. Philippa’s dog is always there to provide comfort, grounding her when the world feels too chaotic. More than anything, her dog accepts her exactly as she is. She doesn’t judge when Philippa needs space, when she communicates differently, or when she has routines that help her feel safe. Instead, she celebrates her world with her—whether that’s through shared quiet moments, playful adventures, or simply existing together. Philippa says ‘She’s not just my pet; she’s my heroine, my therapy, and my best friend’.

Auditions are still open for Autism’s got Talent . The closing date is 31st May and our live show will be in October 11th at Mermaid Theatre. Tickets on sale soon.

Next week is World Autism Awareness and Acceptance  Day on April 2. I have been invited to speak at Sky News Media Lunch at their Headquarters about the work of our charity. 

Happy Mothers Day to all the lovely mums on Sunday enjoy your day

Sending positive vibes and love 

Anna x”

All Things Autism in Essex will return soon.