Autism Acceptance Day - 2nd April
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
Autism affects how people communicate and interact with the world. It affects how a person perceives, experiences, interacts and interprets the world.
Autism isn't a learning disability or an illness or disease. It isn't bad behaviour or a result of bad parenting.
Autistic people may act in a different way to other people
Autistic people may:
- find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
- find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
- find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
- get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
- take longer to understand information
- do or think the same things over and over
There is no one type of autism
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.
Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently.
If you think you or your child may be autistic, get advice about the signs of autism.
Support
Bexley council have specific strategies for supporting autistic residents. You can download and read these on their website. The Council also offers an Advisory Service for children on the Autism Spectrum and support from their Bexley Early Autism Team (BEAS).
In the borough there is a wider range of support available through different volunteer and charitable organisations including:
If if you or you child have signs of austim, the next step is to talk to a GP, health visitor (for children under 5) or special educational needs (SENCO) staff at your child's school. Ask them if they think it's a good idea to refer you for an autism assessment.
