A UK city has hosted an autism festival to raise awareness and improve public perception of the condition.

Swansea aimed to bring attention to the 700,000 people currently diagnosed in the UK.

Seen as a “silent” disability, people with autism often struggle to communicate, leaving them vulnerable to isolation and mental health problems.

Hazel Lim, the festival organiser, supports parents of autistic children through the power of art and music – both central to the festival itself.

She said: “There are two main aims for this festival. The first is to celebrate the achievement of autistic individuals, focusing on the positive aspects of what they can do, as opposed to what they can’t. But the main aim of hosting the festival is to get the conversation started and hopefully give people a better understanding of Autism.”

Likewise, Gareth Noble, associate professor in autism, said: “Events like these are really important because it starts a conversation but at the same time also highlights and promotes the positive aspects of what autism is.

“It allows autistics individuals and their families to come together and share their stories and to define what autism means to them.”

Ms Lim added: “Autism doesn’t mean ‘bad’. There’s too much focus on the negative side of it, too much focus on what they can’t do and we want to try so hard to fix it.

“But if you change the perspective, there’s a lot more that they can do than us, they are so creative, they are so talented.”