autismcornwall

A young man with autism, who does not speak but has an incredible singing voice, is launching his first ever bid for a number one in the UK music charts.

The young musician is hoping to make history by launching his latest single in a bid to smash the UK Top 40 charts and raise awareness of autism.

Kyle Coleman, 27, who was diagnosed with ‘classic autism’ aged two and uses Green Light’s respite services in Portreath, needs 3,000 people to download his “Standing on Solid Ground” to achieve the coveted number one place in the chart.

He is launching his bid on Wednesday (APRIL 2), World Autism Awareness Day, when there will be many activities and social events taking place worldwide to celebrate and raise awareness of the condition.




His proud mother, Caroline Coleman, said: “This will be the first time that a single has charted by a non-verbal person, and almost unbelievably also to our knowledge, by any person with a disability, so will definitely be history in the making. We need 3000 or s…

I recently met five mums whose friendship sprang from a shared experience, they all have a child with autism and like any parent have anxieties and hopes about their child’s development. But, they are also acutely aware that their child’s home and school  environment, and the way that they interact with those around them, will have a huge impact on the way they see the world and how they cope later in life.

 The women came together, creating their own informal hub, to better understand their children's unique behaviour, but despite their pro-active approach they still find themselves second guessing their child’s needs. “I had to find out everything myself,” said Sam Tancock, whose son, Neo, was diagnosed with Aspergers 12 months ago. He was referred to a paediatrician which meant a trip to Plymouth because she was told there is no assessment service for children over 8-years-of-age in Cornwall.
She said: “Neo gets anxious and finds it difficult to maintain friendships. I spoke to h…

The digital era is shaping the way we work, rest and play. As peoples’ digital awareness has grown so to has our appetite for modern gadgets, such as Smart phones and iPads, says Bev Coumbe.

The way technology is being used across the care sector, such as the use of apps to help people with learning disabilities navigate local bus services or ensuring kitchen appliances are switched off, has finally come under the Government’s radar.

The Department of Health has tasked Skills for Care to assess how health and care professionals across the UK are using digital technologies, and whether the workforce has the skills to get the most out of digital technologies and ultimately improve the lives of those they are caring for.

Green Light is one of the first companies in the South West to be assessed by Skills for Care, which says around 9 million people in the UK are currently not online, with the majority of those over 50.
Skills for Care has commissioned independent research consultant, Sara …

The haunting images in Siobhan Purdy’s artwork speak of a life growing up in a world where she felt invisible.  During an inspiring ‘Pop Up’ art exhibition at Green Light’s offices the Redruth based artist described her experiences as a child with autism, a condition she said that was largely unknown in the 1970s, calling it the ‘invisible disability’.


It wasn’t until she reached her 20s, after spending years in and out of hospital, that Siobhan was finally diagnosed with autism.  It was then that she discovered her talent for painting, which was to be the beginning of a self-healing journey that continues to this day.

Siobhan’s painting ‘Family Dance’ depicts the family gatherings at her home with her observing the family interacting, but always from the outside of the closed circle.


“My work is inspired by events and experiences from my past, from dreamlike peaceful times to the more heartfelt disturbing side of my life,” said Siobhan. Having grown up in Cornwall she was a shy girl…