World Autism Awareness Week

Sat 2^nd – Fri 8^th April

So help raise awareness about autism and make a difference to the lives of autistic people across the UK

But what is autism?

In support of World Autism Awareness Week we have written a brief summary all about autism.

Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability. It affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people. It also affects how they experience the world around them.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world in a different way from other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life.

Autism is a spectrum condition. This means that, while all autistic people share certain difficulties, being autistic will affect people in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities and other conditions. As a result, people with autism need different levels of support. Autistic people may also experience over or under sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Autistic people say the world often feels overwhelming and this can cause them considerable anxiety. Understanding and relating to other people as well as taking part in everyday family and social life can be harder if you’re autistic. Often autistic people may wonder why they are ‘different’ and can feel that their social differences mean people don’t understand them.

Autistic people often do not ‘look’ disabled. Parents of autistic children often say that other people simply think their child is naughty, while adults find that they are misunderstood.

All autistic people can benefit from a timely diagnosis as well as ongoing support.

http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/world-autism-awareness-week.aspx