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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly referred to as Autism, is reported to be a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Children and adults with Autism have difficulties with everyday social interaction. Their ability to develop friendships is generally limited, as is their capacity to understand other people's emotional expression. People with autism can often have accompanying learning disabilities but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in relating to the world around them.

There is also a condition called Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism used to describe people who are usually at the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum.

Autism is a label to describe excesses and/or deficits in behaviour in three main areas; these are known as the triad of impairments.

• Social interaction (difficulty with social relationships, for example appearing aloof and indifferent to other people, liking to be alone)
• Social communication (difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, for example not fully understanding the meaning of common gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice)
• Imagination (difficulty in the development of interpersonal play and imagination, for example having a limited range of imaginative activities, possibly copied and pursued rigidly and repetitively).

In addition to this triad, repetitive behaviour patterns and resistance to change in routine are often characteristic. Possibly the most distressing characteristic of Autism is the emergence of challenging and inappropriate behaviours e.g. tantrums and self-injurious behaviours.

Also in this Section

The pages in this section of the website include:

• What causes Autism? »
• Diagnosis »
• How Can I Help My Child? »

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