About Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that some people are born with — it's not something you can catch or pass along to someone else. It affects the brain and makes communicating and interacting with other people difficult.
People who have autism often have delayed language development, prefer to spend time alone, and show less interest in making friends. Another characteristic of autism is what some people describe as "sensory overload": Sounds seem louder, lights brighter, or smells stronger. Although many people with autism also have mental retardation, some are of average or high intelligence.
Not everybody with autism has the exact same symptoms. Some people may have autism that is mild, whereas others may have autism that is more severe. Because it affects people differently, autism is known as a spectrum disorder. Two people with the same spectrum disorder may not act alike or have the same skills.
As many as 1 in 150 people have autism, and it's more common in boys than in girls. Although doctors do not know exactly what causes it, many researchers believe autism is linked to differences in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). These differences may be caused by something in our genes — families who have one child with autism have a higher risk of having another child with autism or a similar disorder. Research suggests that in most cases it's probably a combination of genes that causes the disorder, not a single autism gene.
Sometimes you may hear other developmental disorders mentioned in the same way as autism, such as Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. These disorders, along with autism, are all considered pervasive developmental disorders. People diagnosed with any of these disabilities have problems with social skills and communication
Information from – www.kidshealth.org
Personal & Parental Experiences
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Charity Links
Autism UK - www.autismuk.com
The Autism Society exists to increase awareness of autism, together with well established and newly developed approaches in the diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment. The main goal is to improve the quality of life for persons with Autis.
IARO - www.iaro.org.uk
We are here to encourage and raise funds for research, so that one day we will be able to avoid Autism occurring and to be able to treat the condition successfully.
The National Autism Society - www.nas.org.uk
We champion the rights and interests of all people with autism and aim to provide individuals with autism and their families with help, support and services that they can access, trust and rely upon and which can make a positive difference to their lives.
Our website includes information about autism and Asperger syndrome, the NAS and its services and activities.
Sussex Autistic Society - www.sussexautisticsociety.org
Sussex autistic society provides services across the whole of Sussex to people on the autistic spectrum and their families.
