Autism Awareness

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and as I spend my working life with students on the spectrum I felt it important to make this post. Only yesterday I had a complaint on how poorly it is known or understood by staff and students where I work.

So what is Autism? It is a developmental disorder. It impairs your ability to communicate and interact. It can be defined as a complex neurobehavioural condition which causes problems with language and communication skills. It also causes a person to have repetitive and rigid behaviour. As it is characterised by a range of symptoms and is thus also known as autism spectrum disorder.

I work with young adults on the spectrum I know the frustrations they face and wish there was more widespread awareness about it. To to break social, environmental and psychological barriers they face.

It has to be known that autism is one syndrome, which falls under autism spectrum disorders. These are the disorders classified under umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder:

1. Autistic disorder: This is autism, which is characterised by problems with communication and social interactions.

2. Childhood disintegrative disorder: This kind of autism affects children, where they develop normally for at least 2 years before they lose most of their communication and social skills.

3. Asperger’s syndrome: Children with asperger’s syndrome experience same social problems as autistic disorder. They have limited scope of interests but they don’t face any problems with language. They score as much as average or above average students as well.

4. Pervasive developmental disorder: This is also similar to typical autism. This disorder is for children who experience some autisticbehaviours but they don’t fit into any of the above categories of autism.

Thanks for reading 😊✌.
©Fi S. J. Brown