CATRINE was rocked by a major autism-friendly music festival.

The village came together to enjoy Rock by the River to celebrate autistic residents in the community.

The successful event was held at the National Autistic Society Scotland’s supported living service, Catrine Bank, which supports more than 30 autistic people to live independent lives.

The service helps autistic people develop essential skills, such as self-care, cooking and budgeting to enable them to get out and about in their local community.

Set in the garden of the charity’s five hectare site, autistic people and their families enjoyed a festival inspired afternoon that featured live music performances by staff, lawn games, a bouncy castle and BBQ.

In order to ensure the autistic audience was able to enjoy the festival, the charity provided a quiet and sensory area, and helped them to prepare in advance using ‘social stories’ - pictorial descriptions of what to expect, the benefits of attending, and things that could be challenging.

Nick Ward, director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “We want to give the autistic people we support the opportunity to have new and exciting experiences.

“For many people, attending a music festival is a summer highlight so we decided to hold one in our own back garden.

“That’s one of the benefits of being surrounded by nearly five hectares of beautiful countryside.”