Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong, developmental disability
that affects how an individual communicates and relates to the world around
them. It is a spectrum condition. This means that although people with autism
share certain traits and difficulties, the condition will affect each person in
a different way. Certain individuals with autism are able to live
independently, needing little or no specialist help. Others may have learning
difficulties and throughout their lives may need specialist support. The world
can be a complex place to someone with ASD. They may find it difficult to
understand.
It has being said that to someone with ASD the world is like
“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 the condition tend to struggle when it comes to
taking part in day to day social activities. It is hard for them to express
their thoughts and feelings. They also find it difficult to communicate with
other people. Sometimes they feel like they are different
There are three areas of difficulty that people with autism
share. These difficulties are known as difficulty with social interaction,
social communication and social imagination. Collectively these difficulties
have being coined the Triad of Impairments. The first of the three is the
difficulty people with ASD face regarding social interaction. An individual
with ASD can find it hard to understand and recognise another person’s
emotions. This gives an impression that they are cold and insensitive towards
others feelings. They struggle expressing their own feelings also. It can be
hard for someone with autism to let others know how they feel. They may act
inappropriately or strangely to express themselves if they are upset or angry.
People with autism may not understand the non-written social rules of society.
For example, they invade someone’s personal space by standing to closely to
them. Sometimes they may talk about their own personal interests at length and
in turn show little interest in the hobbies of others. This may come across as
being rude. People with autism also prefer their own company. Being alone if
usually their preference. They do not go out of their way to seek out the
company of others. This can make it difficult for them to form relationships
with other people.
Difficulty with social communication affects how an
individual with autism understands non-verbal and verbal language. It can be
challenging for them to read someone’s body language. It is like a foreign
language to them. It is difficult for an autistic person to read facial
expressions. The faces people pull to express their emotions can be confusing.
They often have a very literal understanding of words. For example, if someone
says “That’s cool” it can mean everything is fine. However, a person with ASD may
pick this up as “That’s cold”. (The National Autistic Society, 2012) The final
impairment is the difficulty people with autism face when it comes to social
imagination. People with autism often struggle with the idea change. They often
have a daily routine that they stick too. A slight disruption to their daily
routine can cause them to become upset and anxious. They find it hard to plan
ahead for the future. They like to stay in the comfort of their routine. It is
difficult for them to cope with new and unfamiliar situations. It is difficult
for them to predict what could happen next. They find it hard to predict
people’s actions or thoughts. Children with autism tend to take part in
imaginative paly activities in school. They tend to prefer the same games over
and over again. They often have no concept of danger and it is not unusual for
them to act out inappropriately in public. For example, they might take a
notion to run across the road without checking for any moving traffic. This can
be extremely stressful for their parents. Difficulty with social imagination
should not be confused with lack of imagination. People with autism can be very
creative and imaginative.
Autism also varies in severity and symptoms. Sometimes it can
go unrecognised in the cases of children who are mildly affected by it. The
three severity levels are referred to as Low Functioning Autism (Severe
Autism), Moderate Autism and High Functioning Autism (Mild Autism). Low
Functioning Autism can have very limited speech. Some individuals may not talk
at all. Autism Speaks has reported that 25% of those who are severely autistic
are non-verbal. They also have repetitive behaviour. They have a strict routine
they like to follow and disruption to this can cause great upset. It can be very
difficult to interact with someone who has autism at this level. They are
socially unreachable. It is hard for them to understand what others are saying
and may lose attention very easily. Those who have Moderate Autism may have
certain difficulty communicating with others. Their vocabulary may include some
functional communication and some repetitive language. They prefer to
communicate through sign language or technical devices. They can be under or
over sensitive to lights, sounds, and other types of stimulation. High
Functioning Autism can have normal verbal skills; however they face some
communication challenges. For example they may take the literal understanding
of words that can prove to cause problems in certain situations. They too may
have a set routine that they like to follow throughout their day but they are
more open about changing their routine in certain situations. They are usually
passionate about a particular subject which they will be very open to talk
about with others. They are capable to hold eye contact and a conversation with
other people.
Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how a person
communicates with the world and the people surrounding them. It is a spectrum
condition, which means that each person will be affect by autism in a different
way. Some individuals may have learning difficulties, limited speech and may
need lifelong specialist support throughout their lives. Others may be able to
live relatively independent lives. Everyone with autism share three areas of difficulty.
These are known as the triad of impairments. These are difficulty with social
interaction, communication and imagination. There are also three levels of
severity of ASD. These are Low Functioning Autism, Moderate Autism and High
Functioning Autism. This project will educate others about the complexity of
this condition. The project aims to create a practical design outcome to raise
awareness about ASD.
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