Love Island star Camilla Thurlow says daughter, two, is ‘still non verbal’ after backlash over autism diagnosis
CAMILLA Thurlow has shared an update on her two-year-old daughter after revealing her autism diagnosis.
The 35-year-old shares daughters Nell, four, Nora, two, and son Brody, 11 months, with husband Jamie Jewitt.
Love Island stars Camilla and Jamie, 33, recently told fans about Nora’s diagnosis with autism.
While many praised the couple for raising awareness, others insisted such information should be kept private.
But Camilla has ignored the trolls and continued to keep fans up-to-date on Nora’s progress.
Writing on social media today, she said: “She is still non-verbal and so far signing and visual aids haven’t been for her but that’s not to say they never will be.
“We’ll keep working on introducing or re-introducing communication forms in line with her progress so we can see what she finds a good fit for her.
“At the moment we try to communicate with her the way she communicates with us and echo her vocalisations and eye contact.”
Camilla added: “She does things like patting arms when cuddling and now has started to reach her arms up to be held. It’s lovely.”
After Camilla and Jamie shared Nora’s diagnosis last month, fans were divided given they are public figures.
One wrote: “Good for them trying to normalise the conversation about autism, but imagine that girl showing up to high school later knowing every other kid can know deeply personal stuff about her with one Google search.”
Someone else said: “My child is awaiting autism assessment and it’s not particularly something I would share online.
“Having said that, I do follow lots of other parents with autistic children, as the NHS is so broken and getting the right help for your child is so difficult and complicated.”
Camilla and Jamie are one of the strongest couples to come out of Love Island, having met on the third series in 2017.
They just missed out on winning the show – coming runners-up to Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay – and went on to tie the knot in 2021.
What is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.
It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls.
Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people’s feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations.
When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead.
They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals.
Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress.
High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder.