Today is the day. Today is match day.

For the last five weeks, Lewis has been counting down to this moment.

The avid football fan knows his allocated seat number at Ibrox Stadium and the times his family are scheduled to leave the house and arrive.

Lewis is eight. His favourite player is Kenny Miller. He is a twin to his sister Abbie. Lewis has autism.

At any moment during the journey to the stadium, a light, a noise or a smell could overwhelm him.

A journey like this can sometimes prove too difficult to conquer, even when his parents Donna and George McConnell have put weeks of effort into best preparing their son.

Lewis' story is just one of the real-life inspirations behind a new film called The Journey.

Launched by Scottish Autism, the charity has worked with a number of families who have been affected by autism to help shape the film's main character with the aim of starting a conversation about autism and encouraging others to share their journey in a bid to raise public awareness.

It's a sentiment mother Donna wholeheartedly backs, saying more support for families affected by autism is important.

"Being a parent of a child with autism is a really hard journey," she says.

"I wanted to try and reach out to other families, to put a hand out and say 'you are not on your own' and that these journeys are extremely challenging and can be very difficult.

"Sometimes you can just turn your car around and go home. Your journey can be ended in five minutes.

"If you know that other people are actually dealing with similar circumstances and similar issues to yourself, I think it is a great support. And there is not enough support out there."

Autism affects an estimated 50,000 people in Scotland, or one in 100.

The lifelong condition can isolate the person from the world and can affect the ability to communicate, form relationships and understand everyday activities.

Lewis was diagnosed with autism at the age of two after his parents raised concerns at what they thought was related to his hearing.

"He wasn't coming on as well as his twin was coming on, he wasn't responding to his name," Donna says.

"He was totally transfixed on TV adverts. He was just very unresponsive to most things. He didn't make eye contact."

While life with autism has made trips like holidays too difficult, Donna says the diagnosis also put a strain on small outings, adding that the sideway glances can make it all the more difficult.

"Something as simple as going to McDonald's to the drive through and then he doesn't get sauce with that McDonald's, that can just throw his whole day off," she says.

"I just wish I could get people to be more aware of things and to maybe take a step back and have a think about what they are saying and how they are reacting because that can end your journey very quickly as well if you are having a really negative response from people."

On April 7, the McConnell family hope to make their planned journey to Ibrox and watch the film they were a part of making air on the big screens before enjoying the game together.

It is in these moments, she explains, where they are able to watch Lewis enjoy one of his passions, that spurs them on each time they plan for a difficult journey.

"He is an extremely kind wee boy," Donna says. "If he thinks there's something wrong with you, he is the first one to come up and make sure you are okay.

"I wouldn't change him for the world but I would change the world to try and work around about him."

During Autism Awareness Month, Scottish Autism is calling on people with autism and their families to share their stories and experiences of travelling to, and attending, events using the hashtag #theautismjourney.

Six years on from Lewis' diagnosis, Donna hopes their own story can bring comfort to people perhaps in the midst of receiving a diagnosis.

She says: "It is heart-breaking because that is your child and he is going to be a young adult one day and I just want the world to be more accepting and if I thought there was anything that I could physically do to make that happen, I would do it."

"Our journey will never end, it is a constant journey but if I can be on that path with someone and help them then that's what I want to do."