Characteristics Of Autism
Autism is lifelong and affects the social and communication centre of the brain. Autism affects the way an individual relates to people, social situations and the immediate environment. Many autistic individuals have difficulty processing everyday sensory information like sight, smells, touch, tastes and sounds.
The two main areas of difficulty which all people with autism share are:
Social Communication and reciprocal Social Interactions
Restricted, Repetitive and Inflexible Patterns of Behaviour (including sensory processing differences)
As autism is a spectrum condition, it will affect people in different ways depending on the individual. It is important to understand how each individual is impacted in these areas, to enable you to support them in an individualised way that is tailored for them.
Autistic individuals process information in different ways, and this can also result in great strengths. For example, many autistic people have a very deep focus and attention to detail, and are able to problem solve in a different way leading to new, innovate ways of working. It is important to get to know each individual’s strengths and differences, so that we can be person-centred, inclusive and supportive.
For additional resources and information to help you support an autistic individual, please contact our Helpline on 02890 401 729 option 1.
Social Communication and reciprocal Social Interactions
Difficulties in social communication and interactions can vary widely depending on the individual. Some autistic individuals may be non-verbal (do not use language to communicate their needs) and some individuals are verbal but may find certain aspects of social communication challenging. Some of the common communication and interaction difficulties include:
Sustaining social communication (e.g. small talk, maintaining a spontaneous conversation)
Understanding non-verbal cues (e.g. body language, tone of voice, facial expressions)
Understanding the social context of a situation
Social Skills (e.g. personal space, eye contact)
Understanding or imagining other people's thoughts and reactions within a social context
There are lots of ways to support a person with their social and communication needs, including adapting our communication methods to better suit autistic individuals. Many autistic individuals prefer visual styles of communication, for example, receiving written instructions, images or directions rather than having to memorise verbal information. Teaching social skills and social understanding can support autistic individuals to feel more confident within social situations.
Restricted, Repetitive and Inflexible Patterns of Behaviour (including sensory processing differences)
Many autistic individuals may have inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities. This means that they may prefer routines, plans and knowing what to expect. Change or unexpected events within a day can be highly stressful for an individual. Some of the common restricted, repetitive and inflexible patterns of behaviour include:
High anxiety because of unexpected changes
The need to follow particular routines or rules
Repetitive behaviour (e.g. hand flapping) or interests (e.g. highly focused on particular topics or activities)
Hypersensitivity (over sensitive) or hyposensitivity (under sensitive) to sensory information including noise, lights, smell, taste, touch and body awareness.
Many of these differences are due to how a person's brain is processing information about the world around them. There are lots of adaptations that can be beneficial to autistic individuals, including adapting the sensory environment and providing relevant information in a clear and concise way.
NEURODIVERSITY
Neurodiversity is a term that means ‘brain differences’. The term is used to describe a range of conditions where an individual’s brain processes information differently. Many of these neurodiverse conditions are ‘hidden’ conditions, meaning you can’t see the person’s condition physically. Neurodiversity includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD, mental health conditions, etc. A single person is referred to as ‘neurodivergent’ and a group of people are a ‘neurodiverse population’. Neurotypical is the term to describe individuals who do not share these brain differences (the opposite to a neurodivergent person).
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Autism NI’s first priority is to support autistic individuals and their families. To do this, we pride ourselves on delivering training that is of the highest standard of accuracy to ensure the information will be effective in supporting autistic individuals. Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a relatively new diagnosis with limited and ever changing information regarding diagnosis, interventions and recognised treatment plans. Currently, we are researching PDA further and consulting with a range of professionals on the issue. For more information, please visit www.pdasociety.org.uk or www.sallycatpda.co.uk