VIDEO: Peterborough family's selfie routine with autistic daughter becomes heartwarming video for World Autism Awareness Week

A Peterborough photographer has created a video of an entire year's worth of selfies with his autistic daughter as World Autism Awareness Week begins today.
Lucy Harris with mum and dad Karen and Terry has taken an entire year's worth of selfiesLucy Harris with mum and dad Karen and Terry has taken an entire year's worth of selfies
Lucy Harris with mum and dad Karen and Terry has taken an entire year's worth of selfies

Running from Monday March 27 until Sunday April 2, World Autism Awareness Week aims to raise money and awareness so that as many people as possible learn about autism.

Peterborough photographer Terry Harris and his wife Karen began taking selfies with their autistic daughter Lucy after she began requesting one every night before bed.

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Karen said: “It’s a small insignificant routine that became something wonderful for all us to look forward to. A routine that to Lucy was as important as cleaning her teeth, she could not go to bed without that all important selfie.”

Now, to mark World Autism Awareness Week, Terry has released a video, showcasing an entire year of nightly selfies.

Karen added: “Ask any parent what autism means to them, and each person will say something different. There’s a saying if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. The spectrum is wide, what is an issue for one person may not be for another.

“For Lucy autism means routine/ritual and probably the most significant part for her is sensory.

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“Lucy’s life is filled with self imposed routines and rituals, these help her make sense of her world.

“Some of the routines can be difficult for us to understand, but for Lucy they hold a deep and profound meaning.

“Some of the rituals can cause stress to us as parents, eg we are trying to be in a certain place at a certain time, yet we cannot leave the house until the rituals are complete. Also if Lucy gets disturbed she often has to start the process over again, which can be frustrating.

“But sometimes a routine can become something so precious.”

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