About Autism
| What is Autism? Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. People on the autistic spectrum struggle to understand and relate to other people. This can cause them considerable anxiety. The development of the child with autism is frequently uneven with areas of strength alongside areas of difficulty. Strengths may lie in memory or attention to detail. Areas of difficulty are typically those concerning instinctive social behaviour and communication, repetitive behaviours or narrow interests, use of language and difficulties with abstract or ambiguous concepts. Individuals with autism may be of low, average or high IQ. About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs. Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include delayed onset of babbling and unusual gestures. The condition persists into adulthood but with appropriate intervention and individualised support, many can utilise their strengths and lead very successful lives. For others, many of the more disabling aspects of the condition improve over time although a number will continue to need support and understanding throughout their lives. The word ‘Spectrum’ is used because every person is affected differently while sharing three main areas of difficulty. These three areas are; Difficulty with social communication, Difficulty with social interaction, and difficulty with social imagination. It is suggested that Autism is present in 1 in 100 males in the UK. Social communication For people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, body language can be extremely hard for them to read. They have difficulty with both verbal and non verbal language. Many have a very literal view of the language and therefore take what people say as the exact truth, making something like sarcasm very hard for them to grasp. This can make social interaction hard. Taking part in everyday family and social life is something we take for granted, as it is intuitive to most people and we do not have to think about it, to someone on the autistic spectrum it can become more of a chore to interact with family and peers than an enjoyment. Social interaction Social interaction will have to be learnt, it will not come naturally. This means it can be difficult for an autistic person to form friendships. It is difficult for them to recognise other peoples emotions or feelings or even there own. This results in time spent alone and it can sometimes be seem as ‘strange’ or ‘naughty’ behaviour. Social imagination Our imagination is what allows us to have abstract ideas, therefore we are able to imagine something that we are unable to see in front of us. Someone with Autism will find this very hard to do which means they can struggle with,
Routines Most people with autism prefer to have fixed routines, the world can appear very unpredictable to them. It is hard for them to take change into there stride, it is best to give an advanced warning to prevent anxiety or a loss of control. Visual Timetables are the most effective way to present the routine ahead of them. ASD Visual Aids is designed to aid children in their day to day routine, it allows for the child to see what it is you are asking them to do and what is coming next. This reduces anxieties and therefore for children will show less unsociable, desirable behaviour. |
Sensory sensitivity |
