FOR one Dunfermline teenager, coping with her autism has become a series of quests.

Shanna Maxwell (17) is setting out to raise awareness about the disorder and cash for charity – by getting ‘gunged’, walking 10 miles, undergoing gruelling work-outs and preparing to chop her long locks off.

She said, “I would like to say that I did enjoy having cold bluey/green coloured wallpaper paste poured over my head, but it was rather icky!

“I couldn’t believe we had reached £100, and although I felt horribly icky, I felt so much joy for reaching my first goal. So yes, I am looking forward to each and every challenge as I know that feeling will only grow much stronger.

“As for cutting off my extremely long hair, I am really excited. I won’t just be getting short hair, I’ll be donating the whole length of it to the Little Princess charity.

“It’s a double dose of joy and achievement!” The teenager was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome - one of a number of conditions that is bracketed under the umbrella term ‘autistic spectrum’ - in December.

People with Asperger’s usually experience difficulty with social interaction, social communication and imagination, and cognitive flexibility.

Shanna said the diagnosis was unexpected and had an immediate impact.

She said, “I got support from a friend’s mother whose brother and son also suffer from an autistic spectrum disorder.

“To help me understand and feel more comfortable with myself, they gave me a bag of books about autism; one of which was a poetry book written by said mother.

“‘More Than Words’ contained poems about a family’s perspective on autism while also portraying the side of the diagnosed member.

“Although the book is based around a situation about someone with a lower functioning case than mine, I felt like I could really relate to some of the poems.

“This then led to me writing some of my own.” Shanna has embarked on a new creative project, called High on ASD, which aims to explain what autistic spectrum disorders are through the medium of videos, poetry, stories and a variety of other creative outlets.

She said, “After being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, I felt out of place in my life.

“Despite the diagnosis I did the only thing I could do, continue on as always.” Shanna hopes that her High on ASD project will raise money along with a wider awareness of autism. A number of fundraising projects have already been organised, including a 10-mile walk, while the first challenge saw her submitting herself to a gunging when they reached the £100 target.

And she’s pledged that when the total hits £500, she’ll be getting most of her hair cut off. Away from the fundraising, Shanna is determined to make sure her prime goal is achieved.

“My main concern in all of this is not actually the money, it is the spreading of knowledge,” she said. “I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 17 and I developed depression, anxiety and OCD because I didn’t understand myself nor received the correct support I needed from friends, family and professionals.

“I hate the idea of someone else growing up feeling these things. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I was never happy, and my family did love and care for me the best they could, but because no-one knew even the most basic signs of autism, I had a lot of difficulties.

“I aspire to have a world where the signs can be spotted, people know how to react, and everyone has an easier life because of it.” Shanna’s fundraising and awareness hopes continue, with her next challenge coming in the form of an extensive work-out when the £200 total is reached.

Donations can be made to the High on ASD project at her Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/HighOnASD.