What is Autism?

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 which can cause them considerable anxiety. In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, and some people with autism may wonder why they are 'different' (National Autistic Society 2008)

Children, young people and adults with autism might:-

• learn differently
• think differently
• communicate differently
• see, hear and experience the world differently
  
  

Autism is a developmental condition. As yet there seems to be no specific cause although there is a complex pattern of inheritance that we don't fully understand yet.

The condition affects about one in every hundred people. In the UK that means there are over 500k people with some degree of autism.

Sometimes, in order for people with autism to learn, have fun, achieve independence, other people have to do things differently. Autism is a condition that challenges peoples understanding of communication, cognition, and human difference.  People with autism have positive strengths. People with autism have unique and sometimes complex needs. Working with strengths and meeting needs promotes learning, independence and well being.  

(Note: when we use the term autism we mean all people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, for example Asperger syndrome)

Useful websites