By bobb |

A 13-year-old Mandurah girl is shining a light on autism in the Wearable Art Mandurah competition, in an effort to remove the social stigma that surrounds the disorder. 

Kiana Lee Murphy has made a jigsaw puzzle dress which represents autism, her mother Michelle said.

“It is a metaphor for the coming together of pieces,” she said. 

“She wants people to know every autistic child is different and they’re not all the same.”

Michelle Murphy said her daughter had Asperger's syndrome, which affected her ability to effectively socialise and communicate.

“She’s such a confident child and she kicks goals,” she said. “She does things in spite of her autism.”

Ms Murphy said Kiana Lee had dealt with a lot of prejudice for being autistic, but had come out of it stronger.

She said the dress, made from second-hand jigsaw pieces, took Kiana over five months to create.

Kiana Lee’s twin sister Tyler Rae will also be modelling in the Wearable Art show, wearing a dress her mother has designed. 

The show will run from June 9 to 10, 2018.