An Introduction To Autism And Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

Many of us have heard of the term ‘autism’ and no doubt have people in our lives who are autistic. Although many people have heard of it not everyone knows what it is and what is involved. So first i will give a basic definition of what autism is.

What is autism?

Autism is a developmental condition affecting the way that the brain processes information. It occurs in varying levels of severity and is a lifelong condition.

When doctors try to diagnose people as autistic or on autistic disorder spectrum they have a list of criteria to test for. Sometimes this can make it difficult for some children and adults to get a diagnosis if they do not show all the ‘common’ traits and signs of someone who is autistic. The main points that the doctor has to look for are based on the triad of impairment.

Triad of impairments

In 1978 Lorna Wing and Judy Gould undertook the Camberwell study; a year later the ‘triad of impairments’ was introduced. And since then it has been the ‘backbone’ of the diagnostic criteria for autism.

The social interaction part of the triad focuses on the following things;

·         The individuals lack of social instinct.

·         Having little or no understanding of unwritten social rules.

·         It also looks at showing little or no empathy for other people.

The communication segment of the triad focuses on the following things;

·         Difficulty understanding verbal and non verbal communication

·         Difficulty using verbal and non verbal communication

·         Difficulty understanding messages from others when not said verbally

·         Difficulty in conversation

The social imagination part of the triad focuses on the following things;

·         Difficulty in predicting the consequences of actions

·         Inability to imagine what goes on in other peoples minds.

Although we have ideas on how to work with and handle autism and how to diagnose it; it is very hard to know exactly what causes autism. So it often leads people to ask how and what causes autism.

What causes autism?

·         The truth is no one really knows exactly why but the brain develops differently in people with autism.

·         Finding the cause of autism is one of the most challenging areas of medical science.

·         The absence of a clear understanding about what causes autism makes finding effective therapies to combat it very difficult.

·         It is now widely accepted by scientists that there may be a mild link to autism being inherited through the family; however this has not been fully proven. It is unclear as to why it affects some family members and not others and why it can skip some generations all together.

·         Autism is no longer seen as a result of lack of affection from carers/parents.

·         The levels of autism are on the rise but this could simply be due to the advances in diagnosing autism as we are now more aware of its signs.

·         There aren’t currently any biological tests to confirm a diagnosis of autism.

How common is autism?

With the numbers of people diagnosed with autism on the rise the statistics speak for themselves to show just how common autism is within the UK.

·         1 in 100 school children are affected by autism

·         Autism is four times more likely in boys than in girls

·         4 out of 10 children with autism have no friends

·         4 out of 10 children with autism are bullied at school

·         A quarter of children with autism are excluded from school at some point

·         Only 6% of people with autism are able to obtain full time employment

As part of my work i am often asked by parents, volunteers and other staff members alike what sort of things can be put in place to make an ‘autistic spectrum disorder’ friendly environment. What sort of things can be done to build on the skills the individual may have and what can be done to knock down any communication barriers that are in place. I always offer very simple advice.

1.       Keep language simple

2.       Allow the individual time to process the information you have given them this could take seconds or minutes

3.       Give out any instructions one at a time

4.       Say exactly what you mean; be literal!

5.       Avoid dependence on the individual understanding what you mean via your facial expressions and any gestures you may give

6.       Minimize distractions within the space to allow the individual to concentrate

There are many support services available locally and nationally to help families, friends, teachers and individuals get advice and help with autism. One that i would recommend to anyone is the

“National Autistic Society”

It is running purely to provide information on autism; the website has a vast amount of resources that can be used and there is a helpline you can ring for advice. Although it is a national service they can give you contact details for local services in your area.