About Autism

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a diagnosis which covers a wide spectrum of difficulties and people on the spectrum may present very differently because each person can be affected in quite different ways.

 Asperger Syndrome is part of the Autistic Spectrum Condition and refers to people who have had no delay in the development of speech (words / phases within 24 months) and who have average or above average intelligence, yet have problems with the give and take of social interactions and verbal communication.  Such individuals appear to have no disability at all, yet when one listens closely one can hear an unusual use of words and notice many ‘quirks’ that set the person apart from the norm. 

People with a diagnosis of High Functioning Autism, as opposed to Asperger Syndrome, have some form of cognitive impairment as well as the autistic traits, meaning that it is difficult for them to learn new skills, to take in, retain and use new information.  Usually this is called a learning disability and is assessed using an intelligence test which we did not formally do during our session. People with HFA will also have delayed development of speech.

 In order for a diagnosis of ASC to be made, there must be difficulties evident throughout childhood (at least since age of three years) and continuing into adult hood in the following three areas:

1. Reciprocal Social Interaction
2. Communication and
3. Patterns of Behaviour 

 The reasons people with autism struggle in these areas seem to be because of neurological and biological differences in:

1. Information processing (storing, organising and retrieving information)
2. Cognitive differences (applying information and seeing ‘bits’ rather than the ‘whole’) and
3. Sensory / perceptual differences (experiencing things differently)

 Thinking of differences in this way establishes ASC as a neurological difference which means people with ASC understand information differently than most other people do, and that this is beyond their control.  It is possible to learn new ways of interacting with people however, so that people with ASC can hold down jobs, obtain driving licenses, maintain relationships and raise children.  One of the keys to maximising success within social systems is having at least one person around who can be flexible enough to accept the autistic person exactly as they are.

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