If #Cummings does play the #autism card, here's how I think he'd expect it to pan out.

First it'll generate pity for him and his wife. It shouldn't - we know that - but it *will* with sections of the UK population. #autism still has that effect on some people, sadly.

They might invoke the nasty "difficult child" trope, implying that they had no choice but leave for Durham as they had no other options that their son could cope with. This may, of course, be true, though many parents will have experienced stressful time at home.

Understanding of #autism is so spectacularly flawed in the UK that this may well fly for some people who then see the media and angry public as horrible, careless people who should show compassion for a family 'marked by autism', as they so often like to word it.

Now at present this may all be pissing in the wind but I think it's worth being wary and vigilant. I wouldn't put anything past Cummings. He may see this as a way to wriggle out of it.

#Autism is, basically, still just about taboo and unknown enough to work in this instance on an ignorant population. Let's see what happens.

Here's the latest 'noise' on Twitter. Seems to be increasing.