An innovative art exhibition is giving people the chance to take a glimpse at the world as experienced by children who live with autism.

Schools from all over Kent were invited to contribute to the display at the Stephen Oliver Studio and Gallery at the Orchards Shopping Centre in Dartford, with dozens of paintings, collages and drawings on show.

The project was launched last Friday evening and the exhibition is running throughout April as part of National Autism Awareness Month, held by the National Autistic Society.

Mr Oliver came up with the idea for the exhibition after reading articles on autism awareness written by Stone councillor Mandy Garford, who has three children on the autistic spectrum and is campaigning to make Dartford more autism-friendly.

Mr Oliver said: “I knew nothing about autism, it was just a word, like it is for a lot of people, but I wanted to see what artwork came out of autistic minds. I asked Mandy if local schools would be interested in doing some artwork that could describe autism, or describe how children with autism feel, or anything really, just to get some artwork from the autistic spectrum.”

Unlike Mr Oliver’s previous community projects, which have included an Alice in Wonderland exhibition and an Easter display inspired by the work of Roald Dahl, The Art of Autism does not tie contributors to a set theme.

The gallery’s walls are adorned with a wide range of images, from a First World War battlefield to Spider-Man climbing up the Eiffel Tower.

Some of the older children to have contributed have attempted to convey what it is like to live with autism.

Tasha Whorewood, a student at Broomhill Bank School in Hextable, wrote a short piece on what autism means to her to accompany her artwork. It reads: “I was inspired to do this piece by another student’s work. I have very strong opinions on people with autism. When I was 11 or maybe 12 I was diagnosed with autism. It changed my life for the better and for the worse.

“Before I had autism I saw the world like any other child, but autism has showed me that the world is messy, complicated, and amazing in every way.

“I would like to one day make the people of the UK realise that autism is not something to be afraid of. It’s something to enjoy and accept.”

Cllr Garford is similarly hopeful of making people more accepting and understanding of those who have autism.

She will be encouraging local businesses to employ those on the spectrum, and wants to run stalls at the Dartford Festival and Stone Fete to raise awareness further. With the help of the upcoming Gravesend, Dartford and Swanley branch of The National Autistic Society, she is also looking to organise support groups.

On Wednesday, Cllr Garford arranged for some expert speakers to go to the Orchards Shopping Centre for an educational talk on autism.

One of those who spoke was Katrina Adams from Beams, a charity supporting disabled children and their families, formerly known as Parents Consortium. Children who attend the charity’s after-school club made their own collage for The Art of Autism.

Mrs Adams said: “A lot of them are too young to articulate what autism is, so we asked them what the word ‘beams’ makes them think of so that they would hopefully put together things that make them happy.

"As a parent I wish there had been more for my son at four, five, and six years old in the way of things like this, for people to understand him and realise that he wasn’t just a naughty boy who screamed and ran around Dartford shopping centres.”

Mrs Adams and her husband Dave personally sponsored last Friday’s launch, which was attended by close to 100 people.

The exhibition will be open from 10am to 2pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 4pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays until April 30. For more information, email Cllr Garford at mandy4stone@gmail.com, or Stephen Oliver at stephen@stephen-oliver.co.uk