All About Autism

The Autism Page is all about autism. Here I will highlight some of the key content for those wanting information about autism.

Understanding Autism

Everyone has heard of autism but understanding autism is far more important. When my eldest was first diagnosed I realised how little I knew about autism. This is why I now share as much information as possible. Understanding key differences allows us to communicate better. If you are in a hurry you may want to see my very quick guide to autism.

Every person is different but there are some areas or traits that are common and it is helpful to be aware of them. In my post on ‘what is autism?‘ I try to answer some of the common questions and list the key areas of difference. It includes:

• autism in a nutshell
• the history of autism
• what is the autistic spectrum
• what ’causes’ autism
• how many people are autistic
• is autism a disability
• autistic traits and behaviours
• sensory processing

If you know someone who is autistic getting to know them and talking about autism it is the best way to learn. I would really recommend listening and talking to adults on the spectrum. They can provide an insight into what it feels like to be autistic and share their own experiences.

In a guest post for Tots 100 I look at the increase of autism diagnosis and the rise of neurodiversity. If all the terminology like neurodiversity and sensory processing are confusing you might want to take a look at my glossary .

If you want to find out a little more about my own autism journey and how my understanding of autism has changed then see my post about lessons learnt. You can find out about being a parent of a disabled child in Kindness in Keynsham. A more recent post about why I am celebrating Autistic Pride.

Who has autism?

Did you know Sir Anthony Hopkins is autistic? See who else is autistic in my post on 10 famous people who have autism. Find out a bit more about the number of people with autism in my post looking at autism statistics.

You may also be interested in my post on politics and autism where you can find out what the UK parties have to say about autism. I have also written about why autism awareness is important.

In addition I have a post just looking at autism and girls.

An autism diagnosis

If you are looking at getting an autism diagnosis or have recently got one for your child you will find the advice from 21 autism bloggers in this post really helpful. You may want to look on my page for those who are recently diagnosed for some help on where to start.

If you are in the process of getting a diagnosis a common assessment used is ADOS. You can find out more about it and the scoring outcomes in my post on ADOS and social communication assessments.

After a diagnosis there will be lots of paperwork to tackle. Find out more in my post on paperwork and education.

Common challenges

Every child is different but there are some common challenges that autistic children face. In the following posts I look at what the challenge is and how we can support our children with these difficulties:

• Going shopping
• Getting a haircut
• Meltdowns
• Sleep
• Food
• Toilet training
• Flying with kids

Challenging behaviour does not mean aggression- a quiet child that is difficult to engage can be extremely challenging. All behaviour has a reason but the hardest thing is working out what the reason is, especially when communication is difficult. In my post about challenging behaviour I look at using the star method to analyse behaviour so we can have a better understanding for the future.

Supporting autism

There are lots of ways to support autistic children. Having said that finding the right therapies and support can be really difficult. I explore how to choose the right therapy in my post on autism therapies for young children at home.

Personally I have found using visual aids makes a huge difference for my sons understanding. I have also really got on with the TEACCH method to support learning. Communication is a key area to look at for all autistic children. You may also be interested in my home learning routine that we set up while on Covid-19 lockdown.

You may also be interested in the support available for siblings of autistic children.

Motivation

Many autistic children have special interests. If you know a child is interested in something this is something you can use to support their learning and interaction. Some children especially when young may not seem to have interests and finding motivating things can be really difficult. I have listed some things that may be motivating which might be helpful for some of you.

Sensory processing

The sensory side of autism can be very complex but having an understanding of sensory needs will really make a big difference. It is worth spending time to explore and understand sensory processing.

You may also find my post on sensory toys helpful. Another thing to consider is impact of change and connection to nature.

I hope you have found what you were looking for. If you want to learn more about autism then here are some books about autism that I recommend.

The best people to advise about autism are those who are themeselves autistic, see my post on Autistic Insights.