The Avery's Share Their Autism's Got Talent Experiences
Where do I start… first I met Anna and the Anna Kennedy Online team back in 2015 performing a bit of an Elvis number. But fast forward to 2024 and being asked to compère alongside Phil this year was something I wouldn’t have dreamed about and it became a reality. As soon as I was asked to compère I agreed and it was different for everyone from performers, parents, AKO team and the audience to see a different side of me that’s different to performing.
It was an absolute honour to introduce some of the performers and also introduce some of the celebrities that were introducing some of the performers as well. It was also different to speak to some of the performers after their performance. But the great thing about it was before some of them went on stage it was good to give them the heads up of who was introducing them and also let them know how it was going to work on the night. That helped me when I performed so I knew I would put them at their ease.
What was also good is that I knew at first hand how the performers would feel before hand (as in performing on stage). The performers were all amazing and what great talent there was this year!!
I would like to thank Anna and all of the AKO team for believing in me and for giving me an opportunity to do something different. I will look forward to doing more for the team in the future
#thesmallcharitywiththebighearts
My name is Aston Avery I am autistic and I am very very proud!
Aston’s parents, Dawn and Keith write:
We have been blessed to have been involved in the greatest show on earth since 2015!
Aston was a performer and we recall the anxiety we all felt back then. Entering a theatre, meeting new people, how was he going to react. From the moment we set through the doors our hearts felt at home. We were met by the wonderful members of the awesome team AKO.
Prior to our meet and greet, Lisa had prepared and organised absolutely everything – we were definitely organised thanks to her. It was from that walking through those doors that made us as a family determined to support and get involved. Fast forward 9 years, and we have been involved ever since, becoming Anna’s charity champions and being a part of the AKO family.
We are enriched and blessed to be raising autism acceptance and be part of gifting opportunities to the autism community. The small charity with a big heart! We all work tirelessly on the day to ensure that each family that walks through the doors gets to experience and feel what we did.
This year was a huge humble feeling for us as parents and fellow AKO team members, we got to see our son (once shy, unassuming, and very anxious) co-compere the event which has been in our hearts for the past 9 years. He stepped on that stage and we could feel his anxiety and nerves but to everyone in that audience he was confident and supportive. To be the one who got to introduce the new stars of the show, was the most overwhelming to date! Thank you to Anna for yet another gifting experience of confidence and belief. He has found his new niche in the team and feels he fits even more than before. We never thought Ako could give more than they did that day 9 years ago. The friendships formed, the acceptance, that’s what AGT is all about and this year, it lived up to every piece of that x
#autismparentsandproud!
