Autism
Facts
Autism is not an illness or a disease – your brain just works in a different way to “neurotypical” people.
It is not a mental illness. It doesn’t need a specific cure but sometimes people need more help with processing information and understanding social situations.
Autism is a spectrum meaning some autistic people need little support but some need lots.
Signs
- Social communication challenges
- Lack of eye contact
- Taking things literally. For Example: Someone may have said to you before “can you turn the light on”. Someone with autism may interpret this as a question, rather than a request and they might not turn the light on.
- Not understanding gestures or facial expressions
- Difficulty understanding their own emotions
- Difficulty recognising others emotions or intentions
- Gaging personal space (standing, sitting or being unnaturally close to someone)
- Meltdown – A meltdown is an intense response to being overwhelmed. This is not a tantrum, a meltdown is when someone temporarily loses control of their behaviour.
People who think they have anxiety sometimes think they have autism because of the way their anxiety might worsens in social situations where autism may seem to also.
Restricted repetitive behaviours (also know as stimming)
- Repetitive body movements e.g. rocking or spinning
- Staring at lights and spinning objects
- Ritualistic behaviours
- Narrow or extreme interest in specific topics
- Need for unvarying routine/resistance
These can be subtle or obvious.
There is medication that can help some of the symptoms of autism but there isn’t a cure nor does there need to be. For some people it is about managing situations and events in ways that are best for them. With Autism being a spectrum some people may need more help managing daily life compared to others are completely independent.
York inspirational Kids run and “autism hub” for young people in York and you can find out more details about it here York Inspirational Kids
Christina and Phil are just two people that talk about their experiences of having autism or as Phil describes it, Aspergers.