What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference that determines the way a person communicates, interacts and processes information.
This can include:
- Communicating and interacting in diverse ways. An autistic person may have unique ways of talking and using language; communicate in ways other than speaking; prefer visual, written, or electronic communication; need time to process information; and prefer clear, purposeful communication and interaction from others.
- Sensory Processing differences include high or low sensitivity to noise, light, smell, taste, or texture. This may result in autistic people avoiding certain stressors and environments but seeking out intense sensory experiences that bring comfort and joy. Difficulty interpreting or expressing signals from the body – like pain, temperature, hunger or emotion is also common (this is known as ‘interoception’).
- Autistic thinking and processing styles often include differences in attention: sometimes autistic people have passionate interests in specific topics or objects, and become highly absorbed in activities they enjoy, but find difficulty in switching attention or being in environments where there is lots of information to process. Autistic people may also need support with planning ahead, prefer to have information in advance of something happening, require help dealing with uncertainty and change, and have preference for predictability. Autistic people may also move in their own unique way and find comfort in repeated physical actions that can help to self-regulate (often referred to as ‘stimming’).
The autistic population is highly diverse. Some autistic people have high support needs, additional learning disabilities, and require care and support for many aspects of their lives. Many autistic people live, learn and work independently, though may also have specific needs and requirements relating to their way of thinking and processing. Autistic peoples’ needs will also vary at different times – and a person may need accommodations and intensive support for some aspects of their lives, and less support for others. This is why it is so important to take an individualised approach to supporting autistic people.
Autism is clinically defined as ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’ or ‘ASD’, though organisations such as Scottish Autism prefer to see autism as a difference, rather than a disorder. Autism is often referred to as a form of ‘neurodivergence’ – the recognition that autistic people’s thinking and processing often do not follow social expectations. Many autistic people consider themselves to have a disability, though this disability can stem as much from the barriers that autistic people face in a world that is not designed for them as from their ways of thinking and being. As our understanding of autism evolves, so does the way in which autism is defined and spoken about.
Autistic people currently face significant barriers to accessing services and social inclusion in a largely non-autistic society. All have a right to the support and the meaningful accommodations that will allow them to thrive. We can all strive for greater understanding of autism and accommodation of the needs of autistic people. That way we can make society more inclusive and less disabling for autistic people and the important people in their lives.
Think you or someone you know could be autistic?
Our services
We offer a wide range of services for autistic people of all ages, as well as their families. Every service is shaped around the individual – their strengths, motivations and what matters most to them.
Services map