What is Autism?

Autism as part of Neurodiversity

We think differently.

We may have intense interests, or be great problem solvers, or be very detail-oriented. We might have trouble starting or switching tasks. We often struggle with surprises or unexpected change.

We process sensory information differently.

Intense light or sound might be a problem for us. We might have trouble understanding things we hear. Hunger or pain might not register. We might "stim" with repeated movement to help regulate our senses.

We move differently.

We might repeat things we've heard before (echolalia), or script out what to say in advance. Some Autistic people may use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to communicate, e.g. "by typing on a computer, spelling spelling on a letter board, or pointing to pictures on an iPad." We may also use our behaviour or actions to communicate.

We socialize differently.

We may not understand or follow social rules: we might be more direct, or not be able to make eye contact, or have trouble controlling facial expressions. Guessing how people feel can be a challenge - not that we're uncaring, but we need direct communication. We might also be especially sensitive to others' feelings.

We might need help with daily living.

Life can be exhausting for an Autistic person - we might need help with or not have the energy to do things like cooking or working or going out. We might be more able to do these things sometimes but need help other times, or they might leave us so tired we need breaks to recover.

Neurodiversity refers to the fact that human minds are infinitely variable. It is a subset of biodiversity. It is a natural and valuable form of human diversity. Neurodivergences include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc. The neurodiversity movement opposes the pathologization of neurodivergences and any attempts to eradicate them.

We see autism as a difference and every Autistic person experiences autism differently. However, there are some aspects associated with autism that many autistic people have in common. The following is adapted from The Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s About Autism webpage:

Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way we experience and interact with the world around us. Autism is part of natural human variation.