What is autism - National Autistic Society
What is autism? Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment
Understanding the diagnostic criteria. An autism diagnosis should be based on criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11), according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Although many people (including most autistic people) do …
National Autistic Society
We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.
Autism and empathy - National Autistic Society
A central idea in these works was that autistic people have an empathy ‘deficit’ relative to other people. This was considered a major milestone in the development of public perceptions of autistic people. Since that work, there have been a further two decades of research and thinking in this area, and the scientific community’s ideas ...
What happens during an autism assessment - National Autistic …
An autism assessment is a process of gathering information about you or your child. The professionals conducting the assessment will seek to understand a broad range of information about you or your child to help them to reach a conclusion about whether you or your child is autistic or not. As part of the assessment they should also identify ...
Stimming - National Autistic Society
Aug 20, 2020 · Stimming or self-stimulating behaviour includes arm or hand-flapping, finger-flicking, rocking, jumping, spinning or twirling, head-banging and complex body movements. It includes the repetitive use of an object, such as flicking a rubber band or twirling a piece of string, or repetitive activities involving the senses (such as repeatedly ...
Masking - National Autistic Society
Masking is a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic in order to blend in and be more accepted in society. Masking can happen in formal situations such as at school or work and in informal situations such as at home with family or socialising with friends. Masking is sometimes referred to as ...
Understanding and developing communication - National Autistic …
interacting with others. initiating interactions, responding to others, or using interaction to show people things or to be sociable. understanding and relating to other people. taking part in everyday family, school, work and social life. These can be harder.
Before diagnosis - National Autistic Society
Information, practical and multimedia resources to help you before requesting an autism assessment. The UK’s most comprehensive directory of services and support for autistic people, their families, and the people who work with them ...
Autistic women and girls - National Autistic Society
In 2015, the ratio of men to women supported by the National Autistic Society’s adult services was approximately 3:1, and the ratio of boys to girls in our charity’s schools was approximately 5:1. In a 2017 study, Loomes and other researchers analysed existing prevalence studies and found that the male-to-female ratio was nearer 3:1.