THE mother of two autistic sons has succeeded in her campaign for autism-friendly package holidays.

Deborah Brownson, from Barrow, began working with Virgin Atlantic two years ago to promote better awareness of the condition among airport staff and cabin crew.

But now, she has been given the go-ahead to extend this training to Virgin Holidays’ resorts.

"We are obviously very pleased. Not just for people with autism, but all disabilities,” said Mrs Brownson.

“Richard Branson himself is dyslexic so he knows what it’s like to be treated differently. He's very keen to make these experiences all-inclusive for everyone.”

When Mrs Brownson's sons Joshua, 14 and Jacob, 10 were both diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, she decided to write a children's book in order to dispel some myths surrounding the condition.

The colourfully illustrated story, He's Not Naughty is based on Mrs Brownson's son Jacob and explains some of the behaviours autistic children may present.

It is this book which Virgin flight staff have been using as a training tool.

When other people see a child screaming or having a tantrum on a plane it can be easy for them to pass judgment.

As Mrs Brownson explains: "When you have got someone who looks to all intents and purposes like anyone else, people just assume that they are being a pain in the bum.

“Having the staff aware of everything means they can discreetly tell the other passengers."

Simple things like relaxing the rules on flights to allow people with autism to keep their headphones on during the flight-safety demonstration can be a major help.

"That's going to send someone with anxiety into a complete spin.

"With the staff at Virgin we have been through lots of examples. You have just got to lessen the rules a little bit to be sensible. Some airlines are quite rigid with the rules.

"The first thing my son would do if he heard there was a life jacket under his seat would be to pull it out."

With the help of Jo-Ann D’Costa-Manuel, founder-director of the company Autism Parent Empower and Virgin Atlantic’s passenger accessibility manager Geraldine Lundy, Mrs Brownson is continuing to explore new ways to make holidays more accessible.

One tool which can be used is a Virgin Holidays “Social Story” which breaks down the different aspects of a holiday, with simple explanations so children know what to expect.

She added: "It helps to prepare them for the flight and the actual holiday. It's about doing as much as we can to give people the confidence to travel.”