What is Autism

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other

people and the world around them.

It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their

condition will affect them in different ways. Asperger syndrome is a form of autism.

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All the information in this PowerPoint was taken from the National Autistic Website.

Autism

• It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

What is AspergesAs soon as we meet a person we make judgements about them. From their facial expression, tone of voice and body language we can usually tell whether they are happy, angry or sad and respond accordingly.

People with Asperger syndrome can find it harder to read the signals that most of us take for granted. This means they find it more difficult to communicate and interact with others which can lead to high levels of anxiety and confusion.

Asperger syndrome is mostly a 'hidden disability'. This means that you can't tell that someone has the condition from their outward appearance. People with the condition have difficulties in three main areas. They are:s•Social communication •social interaction •social imagination

• While there are similarities with autism, people with Asperger syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average, or above average, intelligence. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia and dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy.

• With the right support and encouragement, people with Asperger syndrome can lead full and independent lives.

High Functioning AutismSome people are diagnosed with high-functioning autism (HFA) while others are diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (AS). Here, we explain the difference between the two terms.High-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome are both part of the 'autism spectrum'. The main difference between the two is thought to be in language development: people with Asperger syndrome, typically, will not have had delayed language development when younger. The term 'autism' has an unusual history. It was originally coined by a psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911 to describe what he perceived as one of the key symptoms of schizophrenia, that of social withdrawal. Autism, literally meaning 'selfism', seemed to him to describe the active detachment which affected many of his patients. In the 1940s when Leo Kanner in America and Hans Asperger in Austria were both beginning to identify the existence of autism they separately stumbled on this term which they felt described what they were witnessing in the children they were treating.

To summarise

• Both people with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome are affected by the 'triad of impairments' common to all people with autism.

• Both groups are likely to be of average or above average intelligence.

• The debate as to whether we need two diagnostic terms is ongoing.

• However, there may be features such as age of onset and motor skill deficits which differentiate the two conditions.