Resources
What is autism? by Jane Vaughan, National Autistic Society
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Category - Case studies
Autism affects one in every 100 people – that’s over half a million people in the UK alone.
Some of you are likely to have a brother, sister, cousin or someone at your school with autism. You may have even been diagnosed with autism yourself.
Autism is often called a ‘hidden disability’. This means you can’t tell someone has the condition from how they look. It doesn’t just affect children either. It is a lifelong disability, which means all children with autism grow into adults with autism.
No two people with autism are the same. This is because everyone has their own personality and experiences, and autism affects people in different ways.
People with autism find some things difficult, such as:
• Telling people what they need, and how they feel
• Meeting other people and making friends
• Understanding what other people say and think.
People with autism find routines help them cope with the world around them and can find it difficult when plans change. They can also be very sensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.
People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events, which they struggle to make sense of – and this can cause them considerable anxiety. Imagine if you woke up in a foreign country and couldn’t understand what anyone was saying – this is how someone with autism might feel on a daily basis.
Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. While people with Asperger syndrome have similar problems to those with autism they have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average, or above average, intelligence.
If you know someone with autism, you can help them by recognising the difficulties they might struggle with and showing them patience and understanding. People with autism don’t just need help and support though: they also need friendship just like everyone else. It is a common misunderstanding that young people with autism are happier playing on their own, when in actual fact many desperately want to make friends or take part in social activities but need someone to help them do this.
For information or advice on autism please call our helpline on 0845 070 4004 or visit our website www.autism.org.uk
