Account of autism lands book award

The mother of a severely autistic teenager has won mental health
charity Mind’s book of the year award for her account of the boy’s
childhood.

Kate Rankin’s biography, Growing Up Severely Autistic: They
Call Me Gabriel, won the award which recognises contributions
to public awareness of mental health problems.

Rankin said there was a lack of suitable residential places for
people like her son: “Gabriel now lives 130 miles from home.”

Freelance Adam James won journalist of the year for a series of
articles on schizophrenia.