We’ve been working with the amazing team at BBC’s Songs of Praise on an autism friendly version of the programme. This is the first time the BBC programme has taken steps to make the format more autism friendly – primarily by publishing the running order in advance. This is important because autistic people often find it hard to cope with unexpected changes – publishing the programme in advance means that all viewers know what to expect.

If you have missed the show on Sunday, you can still watch it on iPlayer.

Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at the National Autistic Society, said, “We are so excited for this special episode on Sunday – it’s an amazing opportunity for autism to be discussed on a mainstream TV show. Almost everyone has heard of autism now. But far too few people know what it’s actually like to be autistic - both the contribution autistic people can make to our society and how hard life can be if you struggle to communicate or feel intense anxiety in social situations.

“It has been fantastic to work with the team at Songs of Praise, to ensure autistic people and their families are put at the forefront of the episode and that every possible adjustment for the show was put in place. It is a great platform to get people talking about autism – and hopefully finding out what life can be like for the 700,000 autistic people in the UK, and their families. Better understanding of autism could change the lives of hundreds of thousands of autistic people which is why we work with production companies and television shows to ensure the correct depiction of the lives of autistic people and their families are shown.”

Songs of Praise say, “It was a privilege to work alongside the National Autistic Society who enabled us to film this programme in a sensitive and informative way for those with autism or otherwise”.

If you have missed the show on Sunday, you can still watch it on iPlayer.