Christine McGuinness has told of her heartbreak after a woman complained about her autistic twins making too much noise.
The model, who is married to TV star Paddy McGuinness, said on Instagram that the woman moaned about the noise five-year-olds Leo and Penelope made at a play centre.
She wrote: “When you’ve had or have non verbal children or children with delayed speech you appreciate any sound they make. Because whilst everyone comments on how wonderful and quiet your child is, all’s you wish for is that one day they can communicate and speak for themselves.
“I consider myself very fortunate that my children are now verbal, their vocabulary is not like other children their age but they’re doing absolutely amazing and catching up quickly with support.
“I had silent children for years so to hear someone complain about their noise, when they’re inside a play centre which is another challenging environment for them.. it’s heartbreaking.
“Their ‘noise’ was just happy squeals and laughter!. Yes my children can sometimes be louder than others, even though they don’t like noise themselves, but let children be children!
“We are not in a library here we are in a play centre, this woman moaned about my children 4-5 times!
“The sound of my children will always be music to my ears. I wish the woman complaining could have just opened her eyes to see my very happy, content children simply expressing their joy.”
She added in a video clip on the site: “I just think we’ve still got such a long way to go to open people’s eyes and see past the autism.
McGuinness revealed in July last year that the couple’s twins had the condition.
In a touching Instagram post to mark their fourth birthday, she said they were “totally unique and fantastically awesome”.
The couple are also parents to daughter Felicity, who was born in 2016.