In recent years, more people are embracing the idea of neurodiversity—the concept that some people have neurological differences and those differences should be valued rather than “corrected”. Still, a diagnosis of autism as an adult can come as an unwanted surprise. You may even experience denial or anxiety over the diagnosis. On the other hand, if you’ve long suspected that you have ASD or some other condition that sets you apart from your peers, a diagnosis can come as a relief. Suddenly, a lot of your past experiences and interactions make sense and you’re afforded a sense of clarity. Autism has a wide range of symptoms, even if you narrow the scope down to “high functioning” autism. Autism symptoms in adults tend to be most prominent in your communication skills, interests, emotional and behavioral patterns, and sensitivity to stimuli, such as noise and touch. Problems with communication Other biological factors. Abnormalities with the immune system, metabolism, or brain development may also play a role. Living with a diagnosis This research, as well as autism charities’ Left Stranded report, have informed our focus for this new strategy, and particularly the actions we are taking in the first year. For example, the pandemic highlighted gaps in data relating to autistic people and reinforced the need to improve collection and reporting across health and social care, as well as other areas. That is why we are committing to develop a cross-government action plan on improving data in the first year of the strategy. Approach to this strategy Genetics. Gene mutations might link to specific ASD symptoms, make a person more susceptible to developing ASD, or determine the severity of symptoms.

What is Autism in Simple Terms - No Medical Jargons! What is Autism in Simple Terms - No Medical Jargons!

The characteristics of autism vary from one person to another, but there are four main areas of difference. Social interaction

Diagnosis

We are deeply grateful for Dame Cheryl’s tireless work to improve support and services for autistic people and their families across the country, in particular for the inquiries she led as Chair of the APPGA. The findings from the 2017 inquiry into the education system contributed to our decision to extend the autism strategy for the first time to children and young people. Furthermore, the 2019 inquiry into the impact of the Autism Act 10 years on from its enactment has been vital in the development of this new strategy. We will all remember and are deeply grateful for Dame Cheryl’s perseverance, drive and contributions to improving the lives of autistic people and their families across the country. Joint ministerial foreword We’ve also learned some valuable lessons from the pandemic, from the benefits of flexible working to new ways of providing community support online, and the need to improve data collection about autism so we have a deeper understanding of people’s experiences across health and care services. A growing number of children and young people are being diagnosed as autistic, with special educational needs data suggesting that 1.8% of all pupils in England now have an autism diagnosis. In spite of this, we know that many autistic children and young people are still having poor experiences within school, are not reaching their potential and are struggling in the transition to adult life. The APPGA’s The Autism Act, 10 Years On report showed that autistic children and young people often find it difficult to get the help they need at school due to poor understanding of autism among education staff. It also highlighted that less than 5 in 10 were confident about supporting autistic children and young people, and this can result in missed opportunities to help children reach their potential or prevent children’s needs or distressed behaviour from escalating.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) - HelpGuide.org Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) - HelpGuide.org

Group sessions can also help you gain a better understanding of the neurodiversity movement, which aims to erase the social stigmas associated with autism and neurodivergence in general. Tip 2: Manage anxiety and depression Let’s move away from this tendency to pathologize both the experience of autism as well as the behaviour of people with autism.” Although we’ve come so far over the last decade, there must be no limit to the ambitions of autistic people; they should have the same opportunities as everyone else in society.Reach out to other adults with ASD. You might find that talking with others with ASD is less tiring than other interactions. Although every person with ASD is different, you share a common ground and can talk about your experiences. Additionally, neither of you will need to focus on reading or presenting social cues in a way that a neurotypical person might expect. Support groups for adults with autism Evidence shows that there is currently a significant employment gap for autistic people. Data published by the Office for National Statistics for the first time in February 2021 shows that as of December 2020, 22% of autistic people aged 16 to 64 are in employment, in contrast to 52% of disabled people, and 81% of non-disabled people. The APPGA’s The Autism Act, Ten Years On report fo Differences in social imagination can make it harder for autistic people to cope with new, unfamiliar or unexpected situations. As a result many autistic people like to know what is going to happen in advance and have set routines for the activities they do. They can also have routines and repetition around things they like such as clothes, food, hobbies and conversations. This is the first of the last two books I recommended—both of which are written by people on the spectrum. Stephen has written four books, including his autobiography which is called Beyond the Wall. Stephen has a doctorate in Special Education, he is a professional and a special educator and currently works part-time at Adelphi University in New York, but he is a man with autism. He really tried to be as non-opinionated as possible in Understanding Autism for Dummies, where he speaks about a number of different treatments and approaches and does not really come out in favour or against any of them. He does have strong opinions but, in this book, he intentionally wanted to present information about understanding autism from as neutral a perspective as possible. xiv Understanding Autism For Dummies Assessing Your Child’s Progress ................................................................250 Flexing Your Educational Rights When You Need To ..............................251 Chapter 13: Fostering Healthy Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Recognizing the Social Challenges an Autistic Child Faces....................254 Understanding social norms.............................................................254 Conversing and cooperating.............................................................255 Supporting a child when verbal communication is minimal or nonexistent ..................................................................256 All in the Family............................................................................................258 Talking about autism with your kids................................................259 Considering the challenges siblings face ........................................260 Including extended family .................................................................263 Encouraging Your Child to Form Friendships ..........................................264 Staging an emotional rescue .............................................................265 Creating social stories and calling on Power Cards.......................266 Making conversation..........................................................................268 Sparking interactive play...................................................................269 Respecting differences.......................................................................270 Part IV: Living with Autism as an Adult ......................271 Chapter 14: For Adults with Autism: Living Well after K-12 . . . . . . . .273 Discovering How to Live Interdependently ..............................................274 Managing your daily life ....................................................................274 Deciding where to live .......................................................................275 For caregivers: Preparing your dependent to succeed from day one ....................................................................276 Out of the High-School Daze: Pursuing Higher Education ......................277 Evaluating your educational options...............................................278 Getting the accommodations you need for higher education......282 Practicing self-advocacy and disclosure .........................................283 Easing into higher education ............................................................284 For caregivers: Helping your dependent realize his/her higher-education dreams...............................................................285 Time to Nurture Your Bank Account: Finding (and Keeping) Employment ..............................................................................................285 Matching your skills and desires with job opportunities .............286 Working with a job coach ..................................................................287 Applying for and obtaining a position .............................................288 Maintaining your job..........................................................................291 Gracefully exiting your position .......................................................291 Considering self-employment ...........................................................292 For caregivers: Helping a dependent find employment ................293

The best books on Autism - Five Books The best books on Autism - Five Books

develop and test an autism public understanding and acceptance initiative, working with autistic people and their families, and the voluntary sector In addition, Dame Cheryl made significant progress in improving Parliamentarians’ understanding of autism by introducing autism understanding training, which over 100 MPs have undertaken. We have both completed this training and will be encouraging other Ministers and parliamentarians to do so going forward. An autistic person can be ‘under’ or ‘over’ sensitive in any of the senses – including sight, hearing and balance. This means sounds, lights, touch and smells can be painful or very uncomfortable. His book is in part his autobiography, but a large proportion of the book is advice for people with autism and Asperger’s. In it, he talks about topics ranging from how to prepare for an interview for a job, to when you talk about the fact that you have autism and Asperger’s and when you don’t. He’s very focussed on helping people with autism and Asperger’s to succeed in life. He’s one of the many people who say that we put all of this money into early intervention but what about the appropriate support for people once they’re out of school? Another issue not too many people have focussed on in autism, and Michael is a leader in this area, is mental health issues that arise when people with autism are not supported appropriately. When he was based in New York he ran support groups with people on the autism spectrum who had problems with alcoholism, with drug addiction, were chronically depressed or bipolar. All of these additional mental health issues are sometimes a direct consequence of having autism and, in other cases, are called co-morbid conditions. For example, bipolar is a co-morbid condition that unfortunately is not uncommon for people with Asperger’s and more capable people with autism.To succeed in improving autistic people’s and their families’ lives we will need to work collaboratively to implement these actions across national and local government, the NHS, the education system, the criminal and youth justice systems, and with autistic people and their families. We will refresh our national governance arrangements to ensure government, delivery partners and other organisations responsible for implementing actions set out in the implementation plan are held to account on progress. 2. Our roadmap for the next 5 years How we will make our vision a reality Some people find that anxiety and depression go hand in hand with symptoms of ASD. For example, difficulty relating to others can lead to feelings of anxiety. Increased anxiety can, in turn, make it even harder to communicate. You might even feel so flustered that you can't form sentences. Autistic people can find it harder to understand abstract concepts. For example, they can struggle to understand another person’s point of view – or if they know it in theory, they may still struggle to imagine what it might be. Whether it’s delivering world-class education for everyone, reducing diagnosis waiting times, or supporting autistic people with training and employment, this strategy sets out the real steps we’re going to take over the next five years. These are steps I know will make a difference and help all autistic people across England lead the full and happy lives they deserve.

Autism: What is it? - BBC Newsround Autism: What is it? - BBC Newsround

Watch young people explain what it's really like being autistic and how you can support autistic people.

Does autism present differently in women and girls?

Men are about four times as likely to be diagnosed with ASD than women. Some researchers theorize this may be because women in general are better at imitating socially acceptable behavior. Unlike children with ASD, adults with autism (even when undiagnosed) have had plenty of time to practice their social skills. Women especially often learn to “mask” certain behaviors that seem to draw the attention of other people. As a society, we’ve come a long way since the landmark 2009 Autism Act. We’ve never had a greater public awareness of hidden disabilities like autism. That awareness is increasingly reflected in how our country is run, from the NHS to local government services.