What Is Autism?

An Extract From My Project Breif : What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with other people and how they relate to them. It is a Spectrum Condition. This means that although people with autism share certain difficulties, the condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live independently and look after themselves relatively well. Others with the condition may have learning difficulties and may need specialist support throughout their lives. It has being said that people with autism see the world as a “mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety”. (The National Autistic Society, 2012) People with autism tend to struggle when taking part in everyday social life. It is difficult for them to express their thoughts and feelings as well as communicate with other people. They often feel like they are different.

 There are three areas of difficulty that people with autism share. These are known as Triad of Impairments. The first of the three impairments is the difficulty people with autism face regarding social interaction. People with autism often find it difficult to understand and recognise another person’s emotions. They sometimes come across as being insensitive and cold because they don’t realise what the other person is feeling. They also have trouble expressing their own. They sometimes may act inappropriately or strangely. This is because they are struggling with their emotions and they are having difficulty expressing how they feel. They also have difficulty understanding the unwritten social rules of society. For example, they may stand too close to someone and invade their personal space without realising it. They may talk at length about their own personal interests and show little interest in other peoples hobbies which may seem rude.  People with autism tend to prefer their own company. They do not go out and seek the company of others which can make it difficult for them to create lasting friendships and relationships. 

The second impairment is difficulty with social communication. It can be very difficult for them to understand non-verbal and verbal language. It can be hard for someone with autism to read someone’s body language. It is like a foreign language to them. They find it hard to read facial expressions. Facial expressions can be confusing for someone with autism. There are so many different expressions and faces people pull to convey a range of emotions. They also find it difficult to understand jokes and can have a very literal understanding of words. For example, if someone says “That’s cool” they mean that everything is okay. A person with autism may pick that up as “That’s cold”. (The National Autistic Society, 2012)

The final impairment is the difficulty people with autism face is difficulty with social imagination. Many people with autism struggle with the idea of change. They find it hard to plan ahead for the future. They often have their own set routine which they follow throughout their day. A disruption to the routine can cause them considerable anxiety.  They find it difficult to cope with new and unfamiliar situations. It is very hard for them to predict what could happen next. They also have difficulty understanding other people’s actions. Sometimes children with autism engage in imaginative play activities in school or at home. Sometimes they prefer to play the same game over and over again. More often than not they have no concept of danger. They might run out onto the road in front of passing traffic without realizing the danger they have put themselves in. This can be quite stressful for an autistic child’s parents. 

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how a person communicates with others and the world around them. It is a spectrum condition. This means that the condition will affect different people in different ways. Some may have learning difficulties, limited speech and may need a life time of specialist support. Others may be able to live relatively independent lives. Although it affects different people in different ways, those with autism do share three main difficulties. These are known as the triad of impairments which are difficulty with social interaction, difficulty with social communication and difficulty with social imagination. This project will set out to raise awareness about this condition and will allow people to gain an insight into autism and what it is like.