An overview of autism

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition. It is also known more commonly as Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Though previously was called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It affects social communication, interaction and imagination.

Day to day difficulties:

Individuals can have difficulties in social communication, interaction and imagination. Though it is a spectrum condition which means individuals will have various levels of difficulty from person to person.

Some individuals can struggle with understanding social cues. They can often require information to be clear as they may take things literally. For example, if you said ‘pull your socks up’, some individuals may then pull their socks up. In addition to this, individuals may have difficulty understanding jokes or sarcasm.

Individuals may not give eye contact and can have difficulties in understanding your emotions and feelings. They may be unable to decipher your tone of voice or facial expressions.

Supportive strategies:

There are various strategies we can put in place. For example, we need to give time for individuals to process information and therefore this may mean being patient to receive  an answer. Here are some supportive strategies:

• social stories
• objects of reference
• visual timetables for routines
• picture cards or PEC cards (pictorial exchange communication)
• be clear in your instructions and give time to process the information

So how else can we support individuals?

Well the National Autistic Society identified 5 key areas which individuals can have difficult with. These are:

• Time to process information
• Social situations can cause anxiety
• Unexpeted changes can cause anxiety
• Noise, smells and bright lights can be distressing
• Individuals can experience feelings of overwhelm and cause a ‘meltdown’

It is important to highlight key areas and to spend time to identify ways we can reduce if not limit these difficulties. For example, ensuring the environment is suitable and accessible. This can be achieved through using dimmed lights instead of using brighter lights. Other ways could include being aware of the volume of the television or radio station etc. 

Want to learn more about autism – click here to book our autism awareness course.

References

*National Autistic Society (2018) Autism Facts and History. Available from: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/myths-facts-stats.aspx. [Accessed: 12th July 2020] 

**The NHS Information Centre, Community and Mental Health Team, Brugha, T. et al (2012). Estimating the prevalence of autism spectrum conditions in adults: extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. Leeds: NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care