Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

People who are autistic often have problems with:

• Social interaction (making and maintaining relationships, making eye contact)
• Communication (they may have difficulty with speech and language, facial expressions and body language)
• Imagination and flexible thinking (they may find it hard to think or play imaginatively and can have very rigid thought processes, and find change difficult to tolerate)

Autism is known as a ‘spectrum’ as those who are affected by it vary greatly in their abilities and in the manner in which they are affected. Some autistic people have little or no speech and are not able to care for themselves or live independently.

Others, who might be diagnosed with ‘high functioning autism’ or Asperger’s Syndrome may have very sophisticated language and reasoning skills, but find it hard to negotiate the ins and outs of ‘normal’ life.

Autism may also affect a person who has other difficulties such as learning disability, dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD and some of these difficulties may ‘overlap’. Some autistic people have particularly good skills in certain areas such as mathematics or languages and they can be very successful.

How do I know if my child is autistic?

As all babies and children develop at different rates, it can be really hard to know when a child is not developing ‘normally’. Autism can become obvious at the time when children are learning to speak, around 2-3, but it can also take longer to identify in those who have less obvious difficulties.

It is worth talking to your GP or health visitor if you are concerned about your child’s speech and language, social interactions or eye contact, although they may just be developing at their own rate and there may be no cause for concern.

Also if your child is particularly resistant to change or finds new experiences extremely distressing – although all children are like this to some degree, autistic children can be very scared by new things.

They may also find noise, light, smells or tastes very overwhelming. Another indication is very repetitive play such as spinning objects or doing the same things over and over again.

If the health visitor or GP echoes your concerns, they will refer you to the local Child Development Team, where your child can be assessed and help and support can be offered.

What can help?

Autism is a lifelong condition and as yet there is no ‘cure’. However, there are lots of ways in which autistic people can be helped to manage daily life and develop new skills.

Parents, school and other services will need to work together. Speech and language therapy, social skills groups and occupational therapy are some of the more common types of help offered. An autistic child will usually need extra help at school.

For more information contact YoungMinds Parents Information Service.

See also:

• National Autistic Society
• Autism London – not just for London-based enquirers
• Oaasis (information on autism and other special educational needs)
• Contact a Family (network for parents of disabled children to contact each other and get support)
• YoungMinds Link section