CONAN Devereux is going on the run later this month to help bring more positive attention towards a condition which is well-known but commonly stigmatised.

His planned run from Merino to Casterton on Sunday, 20 November, is all about raising awareness for people with autism spectrum disorder.

His 6-year-old son, Isaiah, is on the spectrum.

“He got diagnosed about two years ago, so I’ve just wanted to do something since then,” Mr Devereux said.

He said he had heard about the run through autism-dedicated groups on Facebook.

At 22 kilometres, the jog between the two towns could take up to four hours.

He has also established a fundraising goal of $5000, which would go a long way towards supporting families, diagnosing the condition and providing autism-friendly equipment in schools.

As at Monday, 7 November, nearly $600 has already been raised.

But Mr Devereux said his priority was giving autism more attention.

“I’m just doing it to raise awareness and remove that stigma of what autism is,” he said.

“It wasn’t until Isaiah got diagnosed that I realised there’s so many different varieties and not everybody’s the same.”

The autism spectrum is a range of developmental conditions which are generally characterised by difficulties in social interaction, intense interests and sensitivity to noise and light.

One way to describe the brain of someone on the spectrum is that they are “wired differently” – they think, feel and experience in different ways, to others on the spectrum as well as those who are not on the spectrum.

According to Autism Spectrum Australia, around 1 in 70 Australians are on the autism spectrum and an early diagnosis and “appropriate evidence-informed treatment” can significantly improve the quality of life.

They have many of their own strengths to go with their difficulties – which can include logical or visual thinking, an eye for detail, good skills with technology and a memory for facts and figures.

Many famous and influential people - historical and living - are thought to have been on the spectrum - names such as Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Bill Gates.

However, various advocacy groups say there is a significant stigma associated with autism and children on the spectrum are at particular risk of bullying.

Common misconceptions about people with autism include views of them being diseased, anti-social, having an intellectual disability or being able to ‘grow out of it’.

Autism is a life-long condition which is different for each person on the spectrum and those with it can still lead a normal and happy life.

The condition is also at the centre of one of the most infamous anti-vaccination conspiracy theories which perpetuates the myth of vaccines causing it.

Run for Autism is an initiative of Autism Spectrum Australia, an organisation which provides information, diagnostic assessments and support for families with someone on the spectrum.

Locals can contribute to Mr Devereux’s goal by searching his name on the Run for Autism website at www.runforautism.org.au, or can also provide a cash donation directly to him if they see him out and about.