Support during world Autism week
When hearing about autism, PDQ\ SHRSOH WKLQN RI WKH ¿OP Rain Man, or of a child genius who can’t function at all socially. The reality for most people affected by autism is somewhat different.
Autism is a developmental disorder which affects the way a person communicates and relates to the world. The causes are not known, and it is a life long condition. It is a spectrum, which means while all people with autism will share certain traits, the effect the condition has on them will be different. Some will be able to live independently, while others may need care for the rest of their life.
People with autism have GLI¿FXOWLHV ZLWK VRFLDO LQ teraction, communication and imagination. Common social comments like sarFDVP DQG MRNHV DUH GLI¿FXOW WR XQGHUVWDQG DQG ¿JXUD tive speech tends to be taken literally, so the expression “cool” may mean slightly cold to someone with autism, rather than slang for something good. They see the world differently and RIWHQ IHHO WKH\ GRQ¶W ¿W LQ EXW FDQW ¿JXUH RXW ZK\ People with autism often KDYH OHDUQLQJ GLI¿FXOWLHV that mask the symptoms of autism. Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism that is not usually accompanied by severe learning disabilities, and people with it are often of higher intelligence, but may still struggle with social interactions and may have milder learnLQJ GLI¿FXOWLHV VXFK DV GLVS raxia and dyslexia. Around 1 in 100 people in the UK are on the autistic spectrum. As awareness of autism and aspergers syndrome grows, diagnosis for children is becoming more common, but for adults it can still be a struggle. 7KH ¿UVW VWHS LQ JHWWLQJ D diagnosis would be to talk to a GP. It might help to ring the autism helpline to help prepare what to say. The GP will then make a referral to a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist for an assessment and formal diagnosis. They will ask questions about childhood history, day to day interactions and so on. There may be more than one appointment before a report is writWHQ DQG RI¿FLDO GLDJQRVLV LV made but once it is done, further support and services can then be accessed.
Organisations like Scottish Autism can be a great help - www.scottishautism. org. They provide information about services to support autistic people, such as housing, befriending, employment and education. They also provide support for family and friends of autistic people too. The vast majority of people with autism lead happy, independent lives, especially if the people around them have knowledge and understanding of the condition.