Autism and Aspergers Syndrome
 
What are they?
 

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.

How do people with autism see the world?

People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety.

In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, and some people with autism may wonder why they are 'different'.

The three main areas of difficulty which all people with autism share are sometimes known as the 'triad of impairments'. They are:

• difficulty with social communication
• difficulty with social interaction
• difficulty with social imagination.

 
 
Social imagination allows us to understand and predict other people's behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, and to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. Difficulties with social imagination mean that people with autism find it hard to:

• understand and interpret other people's thoughts, feelings and actions
• predict what will happen next, or what could happen next
• understand the concept of danger, for example that running on to a busy road poses a threat to them
• engage in imaginative play and activities: children with autism may enjoy some imaginative play but prefer to act out the same scenes each time
• prepare for change and plan for the future
• cope in new or unfamiliar situations.

Difficulties with social imagination should not be confused with a lack of imagination. Many people with autism are very creative and may be, for example, accomplished artists, musicians or writers.
 
 Characteristics of autism

The characteristics of autism vary from one person to another but as well as the three main areas of difficulty, people with autism may have:

• love of routines
• sensory sensitivity
• special interests
• learning disabilities.

 About Asperger syndrome

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. Autism is often described as a 'spectrum disorder' because the condition affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees.
 
 
While there are similarities with autism, people with Asperger syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average, or above average, intelligence. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia and dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. 

With the right support and encouragement, people with Asperger syndrome can lead full and independent lives.
 
 
People with Asperger syndrome sometimes find it difficult to express themselves emotionally and socially. For example, they may:

• have difficulty understanding gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice
• have difficulty knowing when to start or end a conversation and choosing topics to talk about
• use complex words and phrases but may not fully understand what they mean
• be very literal in what they say and can have difficulty understanding jokes, metaphor and sarcasm. For example, a person with Asperger syndrome may be confused by the phrase 'That's cool' when people use it to say something is good.

In order to help a person with Asperger syndrome understand you, keep your sentences short - be clear and concise.
 
 

Websites for advice and support:
 
http://www.autism.org.uk/
 
http://www.talkaboutautism.org.uk
 
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autistic-spectrum-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx