The National Autistic Society is urging residents of Dumbarton and the Vale to get involved in their biggest fundraiser.

World Autism Week takes place in the seven days leading up to World Autism Day on April 2 and the charity wants to encourage schools, workplaces and individuals to take part in activities to raise money and autism awareness.

There are many ways to get involved, including ‘Onesie Wednesday’, which takes place on March 28, and ‘7k for 700k’, which involves running, walking or cycling 7k to raise money for the 700,000 autistic people in the UK.

Jenny Paterson, the director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “Our research found that although 99.5 per cent of people in Scotland have heard of autism, just 16 per cent of autistic people think it is understood in a meaningful way.

“We want to increase understanding of the condition – which affects one in 100 people – in order to tackle this issue and build more compassionate communities.

“I hope that people living in Dumbarton and Vale of Leven will get involved and help us to raise vital funds so we can continue to make a difference to autistic people in Scotland.”