If you think you have autism or Asperger’s syndrome speak to your parents or carer or someone you trust. You could always share your concerns with a teacher or your GP.
There is no cure for autism but if you have autism, you and your family can be helped with:-
- information about autism or Asperger’s syndrome
- managing behavioural difficulties that you may have because of the condition
- developing your social communication and emotional skills
- medication, for some people
- some educational support either in a special school or in a mainstream school with extra help.
Nice is the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and makes recommendations to healthcare workers. The Nice guidelines on autism recommends that in each health area, an autism team of a paediatrician and/or child and adolescent psychiatrist, speech and language therapist and a clinical and/or educational psychologist is set up. Other people in the team may include a social worker, specialist teacher, nurse or health visitor.
Children younger than three years old would be referred to the autism team and children older than three years old would be referred to a paediatrician, or specialist in children’s health, who can then refer on to the autism team if needed for an assessment to work out what help and support you would need. As people with autism have varying levels of difficulties, each person will need an assessment to decide what help and support they need.
The next page has further sources of information and advice.