WHILE other children were struggling to come up with costume ideas for World Book Day, a Rucstall Primary School went in normal clothes to raise awareness of autism.

Seven-year-old Ash French has been reading Uncovering Autism: A Book of Poetry by Basingstoke author Matthew Ansell.

Ash was so taken by the book that she wanted to represent it for World Book Day.

Laura French, Ash’s mum, told The Gazette: “I asked her, how are you going to represent the book? And she said I’ll just wear normal clothes because autism is normal.

“She has the incredible perspective of looking at things and has had a great interpretation of the book.”

While Ash’s five-year-old brother Logan went as a pirate, she wore her regular clothes along with some autism awareness bracelets as accessories.

Laura added: “Matthew is a family friend, so Ash has been telling people all about the book, and she had a photo taken with him which we put inside the book.

“Her school went to Waterstones in town, where the book is on sale, and she was telling her teachers all about it.”