Autism

What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability. Autistic people process information differently. They see, feel, and understand the world differently from non-autistic people.

Being autistic is different for every person and can come with strengths and challenges. Autism is characterised by difficulties communicating and interacting with others, being over-sensitive and/or under-sensitive to light, sounds, and smells. Autistic people can also find the world unpredictable and are more likely to have highly specific interests and an increased reliance on routines. Sudden or unexpected changes can cause a lot of stress and anxiety.

Autism is a spectrum condition. This means that while autistic people may share some of the same characteristics, they will have different needs and abilities and will require different levels of support.

Autism itself is not a mental health problem, although autistic people experience mental illnesses at higher rates than neurotypical people.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Below is a list of difficulties autistic people may share:

Social communication challenges

Autistic people have difficulties with interpreting verbal and non-verbal languages such as gestures or tone of voice. Some autistic people speak few or no words, while other autistic people have very good language skills but struggle to understand sarcasm or tone of voice. Signs of difficult social communications include:

• Needing extra time to process information and answer questions.
• Taking things very literally and finding jokes hard to interpret .

Social interaction challenges

Autistic people frequently have difficulty in understanding other people’s feelings and intentions and expressing their own emotions. Autistic people may:

• Seem blunt, rude, or not interested in others without meaning to.
• Find it hard to read a facial expression, such as a raised eyebrow
• Find it hard to make friends, or prefer to be alone.
• Get too close to other people or get very upset if someone touches or gets too close to them.
• Find it difficult to hold eye contact.

Repetitive and restrictive behaviour

Autistic people may show preference for a strict daily routine or a clear plan for activities and may get very upset if this changes. This is because the world can seem a very unpredictable and confusing place and routine helps reduce uncertainty and anxiety.

People with Autism may:

• Repeat movements such as flapping their hands, flicking their fingers, rocking their body
• Repetitively use object such as twirling a pen or opening and closing doors.

This can be help relieve anxiety for some people, but some may find these behaviours difficult.

Over- or under- Sensitivity to light, sound, taste or touch

Autistic people may be over-sensitive to sensory input or may seek it out. For example, some may work best in a noisy environment, whilst some may find this totally overwhelming and need to wear noise-cancelling headphones.

Sensory issues are linked to anxiety and can make schools, workplaces and shopping centres extremely overwhelming for many autistic people.

Highly-focused interests or hobbies

Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests. Being highly focused helps many autistic people do well academically and in the workplace. In some cases if these interests become too much of a focus, other aspects of a person’s life can be neglected.

Many therapies to support autistic people now see the value in special interests to work in a more personalised way with autistic people.

Common experiences

Extreme anxiety

For many autistic adults, anxiety is a part of everyday life.  Some experience extreme anxiety specifically in social situations.

When everything becomes too much, some people with autism can go into a 'meltdown' – when someone becomes completely overwhelmed by their current situation and temporarily loses behavioural control. The loss of control can be verbal such as shouting, screaming, crying or physical such as kicking, lashing out, biting. Meltdowns are often mistaken for temper tantrums and parents and their autistic children often experience hurtful comments and judgmental stares from less understanding members of the public.

Some autistic people may 'shutdown',  a more passive response to being overwhelmed than a meltdown. An autistic person going quiet or switching off. Though it may appear less intense on the outside world, it can be as frustrating as a meltdown.

What are the causes of Autism?

Research suggests there is no one cause but find that autism develops from a combination of genetic, non-genetic or environmental influences.

In many families, there have been a pattern of autism, further supporting that the disorder has a genetic basis.

Researchers believe it is caused by changes in the neurodevelopment of the brain.  Brain scans show differences in the structure, function and connectivity of the brain in children with autism compared to neurotypical children.

What are the common treatments for Autism?

Therapy

Because autism is a spectrum condition, each person who has it is unique, and their requirements will vary.

Though they may face challenges, with the right support in place, they are more than capable of living fulfilling and happy lives.

Therapies such as Behavioural, Psychological and educational therapy consist of learning life-skills necessary to live independently, reduce challenging behaviours, learn social, communication and language skills.  Research has shown that early intervention can improve learning, communication, and social skills.

Medication

Autism itself does not require medication, although individuals can be treated for conditions often associated with autism, such as anxiety.

Raising Awareness

Whilst many people with autism may need assistance with certain aspects of their life, autism itself doesn’t need to be treated. Instead, many organisations have worked to increase understanding in the general public, to educate people about autism and remove associated stigmas so that autistic people can feel more accepted for who they are.

What help and resources are available for people who need support or further advice?

Get advice by seeing:

• A GP
• A health visitor (for children under 5)
• Any other health professional your child sees e.g. doctor or therapist
• Special Educational Needs (SENCO) staff at your child’s school

For more information:

It is important to gain a better understanding of autism to provide the best support you or your loved ones need. They provide diagnosis, more information on treatments available and help you connect to the right support.

• National Autistic Society (See here)
• NHS (See here)
• Ambitious about Autism (See here)
• Autistica (See here)
• AFASIC (See here)
• Autism Anglia (See here)
• Cambian Group (See here)
• Speacial Needs and Parents (See here)

What are the recent developments in research for Autism?

MQ are funding many research projects related to ASD. Here are some of the following:

Investigating the causes and consequences of mental ill-health in young people with Autism

Dr Mark Taylor uses large genetic and family history data in the hope discover why transitioning to adulthood is so difficult for autistic individuals, and what the longer-term consequences of these difficulties might be. Find out more.

Elucidating the relationship and co-evolution of sensory reactivity and mental health symptoms in autism

With around 80% of autistic individuals experiencing problems with the sensory world. Dr Teresa Tayassoli and her team at University of Reading study to see whether sensory symptoms could be causing issues such as anxiety, enabling us to reduce mental health problems. Find out more.

Aligning Dimensions of Interoceptive Experience (ADIE) to prevent the development of anxiety disorders in autism

Professor Hugo Critchley and his team at the University of Sussex are investigating whether a new therapy – called ADIE – could provide a much-needed step for stopping autism from developing anxiety disorders in the first place. This works by helping people to manage the stress they feel in response to unexpected physical changes. Find out more.

Want to see more of our mental health research? See how our world-class researchers are working tirelessly to better understand, diagnose and treat mental illness.