What is Autism?
Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are all terms used to mean a developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people and how they experience the world around them. The behaviours and symptoms seen in someone with Autism can be more or less observable between different people and each person with Autism will have their own individual areas of strengths and difficulties. However, all people with Autism show difference across the same areas; social interaction, social communication, social imagination, interests and behaviours.
Children can exhibit signs of Autism from a young age and therefore be diagnosed quite early, enabling them to access the support needed. However, sometimes Autism can be undetected until adolescence or even adulthood, meaning that diagnosis isn’t made until much later. This is more common in females, which is one of the reasons why there are more boys and men diagnosed with Autism.
For more information, click here or you can download a factsheet from Autism West Midlands here.
Children can exhibit signs of Autism from a young age and therefore be diagnosed quite early, enabling them to access the support needed. However, sometimes Autism can be undetected until adolescence or even adulthood, meaning that diagnosis isn’t made until much later. This is more common in females, which is one of the reasons why there are more boys and men diagnosed with Autism.
For more information, click here or you can download a factsheet from Autism West Midlands here.
What are the signs?
The characteristics of Autism vary from one person to another, but in order for a diagnosis to be made, a person will usually be assessed as having had persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests since early childhood, to the extent that these "limit and impair everyday functioning".
Some of the main signs that a child may be on the autism spectrum include:
- not drawing their parents’ or others’ attention to objects or events, for example pointing at a toy or a book, or at something that is happening nearby (or a child may eventually do this, but later than expected)
- carrying out activities in a repetitive way, for example always playing the same game in the same way, or repeatedly lining toys up in a particular order
- resistance to change or doing things differently
- emerging difficulties with social interaction and social communication including non-verbal communication
- behaviour such as biting, pinching, kicking, pica (putting inedible items in the mouth), or self-injurious behaviour.
For more information, click here, here, here or here.
Some of the main signs that a child may be on the autism spectrum include:
- not drawing their parents’ or others’ attention to objects or events, for example pointing at a toy or a book, or at something that is happening nearby (or a child may eventually do this, but later than expected)
- carrying out activities in a repetitive way, for example always playing the same game in the same way, or repeatedly lining toys up in a particular order
- resistance to change or doing things differently
- emerging difficulties with social interaction and social communication including non-verbal communication
- behaviour such as biting, pinching, kicking, pica (putting inedible items in the mouth), or self-injurious behaviour.
For more information, click here, here, here or here.
R E C O M M E N D E D R E S O U R C E S
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National Autistic Society
The most prevalent charitable organisation dedicated to parents, carers, professionals and people with Autism. Click here to go to their website. |
Autism West Midlands
The leading charity in the West Midlands for people with Autism and their families. Click here to go to their website. |
Autism Links
Online network of resources for people with Autism and their families. Click here to go to their website. |