Understanding autism
Find out what autism is, different autistic traits, and issues that may affect people with autism, such as sleep and communication issues.
What autism is
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects how an autistic person communicates with and relates to other people.
It affects how they experience and interact with the world around them.
As a result, autistic people see, hear, and feel the world differently to other people.
Every autistic person is different and each has needs and aspirations that are unique to them.
Many can learn, live, and work independently, whilst others may have more complex needs, learning difficulties or other coexisting health conditions that require specialist support at various stages throughout their lives.
Signs of autism
There are many signs that your or your child may be autistic.
The core characteristics of autism include:
- communication issues
- behaviours and interests
- sensory processing
More information on signs of these characteristics is available at:
Communication
Social communication and interaction include the use and understanding of spoken and non-spoken communication, such as conversation and body language.
It also includes social exchanges, such as sharing and taking turns.
Differences in social communication and social interaction can vary widely between autistic people compared to people who are not autistic and are a core characteristic of autism.
Further information is available at:
Behaviours and interests
Behaviours and interests that may lead to an autism diagnosis include having or showing:
- focused and dedicated interests (such as a very strong passion for a hobby, toy or subject)
- repeated movements and behaviour
- preference for order or routine
Repeated movements and behaviour (stimming)
One of the core characteristics of autism is repeated movements (like hand flapping, hair twirling or spinning) and/ or repeated behaviours (like saying a word or listening to a song on repeat) for sensory stimulation, to keep calm or to express joy. This is also known as ‘stimming’.
Masking
Masking is a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic.
Meltdowns
Some autistic children can also be physically or verbally aggressive. Their behaviour can be harmful to themselves or other people.
Meltdowns can occur, which is a response to an overwhelming situation.
Contact your HSC Trust for help from their behaviour support services.
Sensory processing
If you are autistic, you may be much more or less sensitive than people who are not autistic to the five main senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) and senses for balance, movement, spatial awareness and awareness of internal states (such as hunger and temperature).
Sensory differences can be different for different people:
Pressures of social situations and sensory overload can lead to exhaustion (fatigue) and burnout. Advice to help you with autistic fatigue and burnout is available at the link below:
Sleep issues
Problems with sleep can be an issue for autistic people.
There are a range of reasons for this including:
- difficulties with relaxing or winding down
- irregular melatonin levels
It can also be disruptive for the parents of autistic children who can find their own sleep is affected.
The guides below give information on why you may struggle with sleep and ways to help:
Autistic women and girls
Advice and support for autistic women and girls on a range of health topics, including menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding and menopause is available at the links below: