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Autism is much more common than most
people think. There are over half a million people in the UK with autism
- that's around 1 in 100 people.
People from all nationalities and
cultural, religious and social backgrounds can have autism, although it
appears to affect more men than women. It is a lifelong condition:
children with autism grow up to become adults with autism.
Autism is sometimes referred to as an
autism spectrum disorder, or an ASD. The word 'spectrum' is used
because, while all people with autism share three main areas of
difficulty, their condition will affect them in very different ways.
Some are able to live relatively 'everyday' lives; others will require a
lifetime of specialist support.
The characteristics of autism vary from
one person to another but are generally divided into three main groups.
These are: difficulty with social communication, difficulty with social
interaction and difficulty with social imagination.
Difficulty with social communication
People with autism have difficulties with
both verbal and non-verbal language. Many have a very literal
understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what
they say. They can find it difficult to use or understand:
-
facial expressions or tone of voice
-
jokes and sarcasm
-
common phrases and sayings; an example
might be the phrase 'It's cool', which people often say when they
think that something is good, but strictly speaking, means that it's
a bit cold.
Some people with autism may not speak, or
have fairly limited speech. Others will have good language skills, but
they may still find it hard to understand the give-and-take nature of
conversations. They may talk at length about their own interests.
It helps if other people speak in a clear,
consistent way and give people with autism time to process what has been
said to them.
Difficulty with social interaction
People with autism often have difficulty
recognising or understanding other people's emotions and feelings, and
expressing their own, which can make it more difficult for them to fit
in socially. They may:
-
not understand the unwritten social
rules which most of us pick up without thinking: they may stand too
close to another person for example, or start an inappropriate
subject of conversation
-
appear to be insensitive because they
have not recognised how someone else is feeling
-
prefer to spend time alone rather than
seeking out the company of other people
-
not seek comfort from other people
-
appear to behave 'strangely' or
inappropriately, as it is not always easy for them to express
feelings, emotions or needs.
Difficulties with social interaction can
mean that people with autism find it hard to form friendships: some may
want to interact with other people and make friends, but may be unsure
how to go about this.
Difficulty with social imagination
Social imagination allows us to understand
and predict other people's behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, and
to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. Difficulties
with social imagination mean that people with autism find it hard to:
-
understand and interpret other
people's thoughts, feelings and actions
-
predict what will happen next, or what
could happen next
-
understand the concept of danger, for
example that running on to a busy road poses a threat to them
-
engage in imaginative play and
activities: children with autism may enjoy some imaginative play but
prefer to act out the same scenes each time
-
prepare for change and plan for the
future
-
cope in new or unfamiliar situations.
Difficulties with social imagination
should not be confused with a lack of imagination. Many people with
autism are very creative and may be, for example, accomplished artists,
musicians or writers.
The characteristics of autism vary from
one person to another but as well as the three main areas of
difficulty, people with autism may have:
Love of routines
The world can seem a very unpredictable
and confusing place to people with autism, who often prefer to have a
fixed daily routine so that they know what is going to happen every day.
This routine can extend to always wanting to travel the same way to and
from school or work, or eat exactly the same food for breakfast.
Rules can also be important: it may be
difficult for a person with autism to take a different approach to
something once they have been taught the 'right' way to do it. People
with autism may not be comfortable with the idea of change, but can cope
well if they are prepared for it in advance.
Sensory sensitivity
People with autism may experience some
form of sensory sensitivity. This can occur in one or more of the five
senses - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A person's senses are
either intensified (hypersensitive) or under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive).
For example, a person with autism may find
certain background sounds, which other people ignore or block out,
unbearably loud or distracting. This can cause anxiety or even physical
pain.
People who are hypo-sensitive may not feel pain or extremes of
temperature. Some may rock, spin or flap their hands to stimulate
sensation, to help with balance and posture or to deal with stress.
Special interests
Many people with autism have intense
special interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over
time or be lifelong, and can be anything from art or music, to trains or
computers. Some people with autism may eventually be able to work or
study in related areas. For others, it will remain a hobby.
It can be hard to create awareness of
autism as people with the condition do not 'look' disabled: parents of
children with autism often say that other people simply think their
child is naughty; while adults find that they are misunderstood.
All people with autism can benefit from a
timely diagnosis and access to appropriate services and support.
For more information visit the National
Autistic Society’s webpage:
http://www.autism.org.uk/en-gb/about-autism/autism-and-asperger-syndrome-an-introduction/what-is-autism.aspx
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NAS West Wiltshire Branch
Contact Address
Sue Saunderson, Branch Officer BA14, tel: 07825 113297 , email:
suesaunderson@naswestwilts.co.uk
Website
www.naswestwilts.co.uk
Description
The Branch offers support and information for parents of children with
Autistic Spectrum Disorders including those with additional special
needs including ADHD, ADD, OCD, ODD, dyspraxia, chromosomal
abnormalities and Down syndrome. It holds regular coffee meetings, open
meetings with speakers, leisure and art activities for children and
their siblings as well as fundraising events, day trips and parties.
NAS Swindon & District Branch
Contact Address
Sally Grubb, Branch Officer, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5, email:
swindon@nas.org.uk
Tel: 01793 770079
Description
The branch provides social events such as fun days, skittles and
barbeques and offers information, support and signposting, as well as
having speakers at meetings. A newsletter is produced regularly, giving
both local and national information. The branch's committee is formed of
representatives of established local autism-related groups, including
DASH (Discovering Autistic Spectrum Happiness) and representatives of
parent support groups, as well as professionals working in the field of
ASC.
NAS South Wiltshire Branch
Contact Address
Branch Officer, tel: 07795 368113, email:
southwiltshire@nas.org.uk
Website
www.autism-together.org.uk
Description
The branch offers: quarterly newsletter; parent and carer pack providing
information on local services; open meetings with different speakers;
leisure events, cinema, fun clubs, swimming; phone line for leaving a
message with someone returning the call; provides local contacts to
others/parents/teachers; visits to other groups trying to build network
of local contacts.
NAS North Wiltshire Branch
Contact Address
Emily Rees, Branch Officer, tel: 07827 661655, email:
northwiltshire@nas.org.uk
Description
A support group for parents including; activities for families, children
and siblings and a monthly newsletter.
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