A mum has explained how she spotted the early signs of autism in her four-year-old daughter but added that there is no need to fear the word.
Speaking to Liverpool Echo on the subject, 32-year-old Sarah Casement explained that she was now waiting for an official diagnosis.
She said concerns had been raised when daughter Luna had delayed speech.
Sarah, from Wirral, said family and friends had told her not to worry.
She said: "Luna was late with her speech and family and friends said 'not to worry she would get there'.
"But since she has been under review for her speech delay we started to notice other things, such as becoming overwhelmed with certain things.
"And there are things looking back that I hadn't realised were early signs.
"Tiptoe walking is quite common with all children, but is an early sign of autism. And Luna never liked loud noises, or when she was confronted with a new noise she hadn't heard before she would put her fingers in her ears.
"And as she is getting older we have noticed she is now having sensory issues with different types of clothes."
While Sarah believes Luna's pending autism diagnosis may have gone unnoticed if she had not been seeing a specialist for her speech, she said parents often have a bit of an "instinct".
She said: "There are certain things Luna took to very well, but there were just something we could tell were not clicking.
"I think you, as a parent, have got a bit of an instinct so I would always advise any parent who thinks they suspect some of the signs of autism to speak to their GP because it can be a long process.
"Our diagnosis for Luna is taking a little longer because of Covid.
"And you should never be scared of the word autism, always raise your concerns and keep pushing if you know your child might need extra support.
"We do not know yet if Luna will need long-term support for the rest of her life, but we just take each day as it comes and I am in a good headspace with it."
Sarah and her husband Tom, 32, are also parents to Violet, two, which has now prompted Sarah to write a book aimed at children to help them understand other children with autism.
Beautifully titled "This is our Lunaverse", the book is written from the perspective of a younger sister.
She said: "When I have been reading books to both my girls you don't often read about children like Luna so I wanted to write one so other kids and their parents know more about it.
"And to help Violet understand the many amazing qualities of Luna but also some of her day-to-day struggles and why Luna might need some time alone.
"We all have our differences and we all need to learn to respect that - I think kids are perhaps the most understanding in general, the children at Luna's school have been amazing with her.
"I have had such amazing feedback from my book from parents too, many saying it should be available in every school."
This is Our Lunaverse is available from Amazon priced at £5.00.
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