Laura Miller Laura Miller's daughter Grace is badly affected by fireworks Jonathan Geddes Glasgow and west reporter 29 October 2026 Updated 30 October 2026 06:21 GMT Although she is only six, Grace Miller already knows what to do when fireworks season arrives every year.

She will head to her bedroom, pull the door closed and the blinds down, and try to hide from the barrage of noise happening outside.

However no matter how much effort Grace puts in, she is often left crying and deeply distressed by the constant explosions during October and November.

Grace, of Kirkintilloch, has autism and is among those - adults and children - whose sensory issues are affected during the period around Bonfire Night.

Grace's mum Laura has set up a petition on Change.org calling on East Dunbartonshire Council to introduce firework control zones in the area, similar to the approach already taken in some parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

She feels while it is known that animals can be easily distressed by the amount of noise created by fireworks, the effect it can have on people with conditions like autism are less publicised.

For Grace, diagnosed with autism two years ago, the impact every autumn is considerable.

"She's funny, outgoing, just a beautiful wee girl – but when something like this happens she goes in on herself and hunkers down," Laura told BBC Scotland News.

"You feel absolutely powerless when it all kicks off every night. Your children look to you for protection and for you to come up with a solution, but in this case you can't. "She has so much distress when it starts and is often crying herself to sleep.

"The narrative is usually about animals, but vulnerable people in the community are mentioned far less. I'm not asking for fireworks to be banned, far from it – but do they need to be so loud and so constant?" Laura Miller believes her local council could do to regulate fireworks People with autism can be more or less sensitive to sensory experiences, with the impact varying from person to person.

In Grace's case, loud noises can upset her heavily, effectively triggering what is often called a sensory overload - where a person becomes overwhelmed as a result.

Grace now uses ear defenders every night, but they only muffle the sound rather than blocking it out entirely.

In recent years the National Autistic Society have issued guidance aimed at helping people with the condition cope with fireworks season, with suggestions for easing stress and anxiety.

Laura would like to see more local authorities use the powers granted to them via the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill in 2022.

Since then, both Edinburgh and Glasgow City Councils have brought in firework control zones for parts of each city, after constant problems with anti-social behaviour around Bonfire Night.

They stop people from setting them off on private property, but organised displays are allowed.

East Dunbartonshire has not had problems to that degree, but it is the sheer number of fireworks, being set off day in and day out, that Laura struggles with the most.

"I don't want to ruin anyone's fun but this is a real struggle," argues Laura, who is also mum to 10-year-old Aidan and is married to husband Scott.

"It is not just 5 November and at the new year, it is here, there and everywhere from October onwards. If it was a couple of days and that was it, it would be a lot easier to cope with." 'There is a real impact fireworks have' It is not just children who can be affected badly by fireworks.

Jonathan Blythe, 41, has Asperger's Syndrome and dreads the autumn arriving, as he know it will bring a nightly din with it.

"We've been hearing fireworks almost every night, sometimes even during the day," he said.

"My partner and I can't even relax and watch television together in the evenings without me becoming distressed by the fireworks." Jonathan lives in the Barmulloch area of Glasgow, which is not covered by a fireworks control zone.

He says one recent experience saw him become so panicked that he left his house, got in his car and drove around for hours to find somewhere that was quiet.

"This really is affecting me and my day-to-day life, there is a real impact fireworks have on people like me." Grace usually has to 'hunker down' when the fireworks start in October and November East Dunbartonshire Council told BBC Scotland News it would be happy to speak to Laura about fireworks in the area.

However it has also stated in documents that misuse of fireworks is "relatively limited in number across the East Dunbartonshire area" and that it does not receive many complaints.

In correspondence with local politicians the council said control zones are intended to respond to significant disorder, and not be a "catch-all solution" if people have trouble with fireworks.

Laura feels that is not an acceptable answer, and intends to keep pushing for change, including with her petition. "It's hard for someone to understand unless you have someone that is neuro-divergent in your family.

"Since Grace was born, there have been challenges but we have rode through them together, and we will keep doing that with this as well."