Autism
What is Autism?
Autism is a kind of neurodivergence. If you are autistic, you might view and experience the world differently from others; you may have differences in your:
- social interaction and communication
- conversation style
- friendships and other relationships
- play, imagination, interests and routines
- sensory preferences
- understanding of emotions and other feelings in your body
Autism is not a mental health condition or a learning disability, although autistic people can have both, and there can often be a correlation between autism and ADHD. Many autistic people may also have other identities such as LGBTQA+. Although there are these patterns amongst autistic people, it is important to remember that you are unique, with your own strengths, challenges, temperament and personality.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder is the formal name for the diagnosis, but mostly we just say “autism” or “autistic”. You might describe yourself as an autistic person, which many people prefer, or a person with autism – it is your choice how you wish to define yourself.
There’s lots of research around why people are autistic, and there may not be just one reason. Autism may run in families – the specific genes associated with it are still being explored. There may not be just one gene, but many, which explains why autistic people can be so different to each other.
Some autistic people are the only ones in their family. Other families have a few or many family members who are autistic or have other kinds of neurodivergence.
We have got better at recognising autism in groups of people whose needs may have been missed in the past, such as girls and people from different ethnic groups. This is why it might seem like there is an increase in the number of autistic people in our society.
Like everyone else, each autistic person has their own strengths, challenges and unique personality. However, there may be certain similarities across your communication and experiences of the world if you are autistic. We use these in autism assessments and autistic people can use them to identify themselves.
Here are some areas you may experience differently if you are autistic, click on the headings for more detail:
You might find small talk challenging or take things literally when communicating with others and not understand that what is implied might be different to what is said. Sometimes it can feel that there are unwritten social rules that you don’t have access to. Some autistic people pre-prepare scripts, or rely on familiar topics of conversation, ahead of planned conversations.
xThis refers to gestures and body language, such as someone folding their arms, or facial expressions such as surprise or worry, and you may struggle to understand the meaning behind this.
xThis means what we like to talk about and how we have conversations.
xYou may find talking to other people exhausting and confusing. You may copy how other people interact to manage in social situations, and avoid unfamiliar or unclear conversation topics.
xEmpathy means to understand what another person is going through. When we experience the world differently to someone it can be hard to imagine yourself in their situation. It can also be hard for the other person to imagine themselves in your situation.
xThis means all relationships, including friendships, family, community connections etc.
xMasking is linked to all of these areas. It refers to when you hide your autistic traits to fit in with the people around you or expectations of your environment (for example school or college), which can often be exhausting and difficult to sustain.
xYou might find you have special interests that bring you joy, motivation and can be a way of connecting with others.
xYou might focus on one thing, and look at the detail rather than the bigger picture.
xThis includes things you see, hear, smell, touch and taste. These might be more intense for you than for others, and might include things that are uncomfortable or distressing, as well as things that give you comfort and pleasure. You might also have more or less awareness of your body’s cues, for example, if you are you hungry, cold, need the toilet – this is called interoception.
xYou might find rules to be helpful in managing situations, and find it hard to adapt if these rules change or are not always followed.
x
If you are autistic, you may need different support at school or work because these places are mostly designed for non-autistic people. Often, small changes can be made which make these environments better for you.
Autism is a spectrum, which means people need support in different areas. For example, some autistic people don’t communicate using spoken words at all; others may be able to speak sometimes, and others may be able to speak fluently all the time. Support needs can be high in some areas, and low or non-existent in others. They may vary day to day, and there are lots of factors which affect this.
This doesn’t mean that you will always struggle in the world because you are autistic – with the right understanding and support you can thrive
Related to Autism
Advice to help me
Regardless of whether you have a diagnosis or not, you might find that you share some of the experiences that autistic people commonly have, and these suggestions might be helpful for you:
Sensory: Spend some time understanding your own sensory experiences, both positive and negative. The National Autistic Society have a useful webpage describing different sensory experiences and what they might mean for you. Understanding your own sensory profile can help you to predict situations which might be hard, build in ways to cope with them – for example wearing noise cancelling headphones or taking a change of clothes, and find ways of regulating yourself by attending to your sensory needs.
Executive function: If you struggle with concentration, getting tasks started, transitions, and organisation – things which come under the title of executive function – it can be really helpful to use visual or audio aids. Examples could include:
- Using a visual timetable or a ‘now and next’ sign, which tells you the next task you need to transition to
- Using a countdown (for example a calendar or a string of beads) to help you prepare for any big changes
- Using timers where you do as much of a task as you can within 10/15/20 minutes – and then see if you can keep going after this
- Building yourself a weekly routine, with enough time for rest, or smaller daily routines, to help everything feel manageable and contained.
- Body doubling – where you work on your own tasks alongside someone else – which can help prompt you to get started and encourage you to focus.
Communication: If you struggle with understanding and communicating how your body and mind feels, there are things you can use to help. For example, an emotion wheel shows you different words to describe categories of emotion, and feelings and needs cards can help you identify what’s going on for you and what might help.
You could try creating communication cards in advance to help in different situations. For example, you could create script cards on things like ordering food or making a phone call – Just Keep Stimming has some great downloadable examples of this . You could also create cards to communicate your needs when you’re unable to speak so that the people helping you are aware.
Emotional regulation: Try using calming strategies– these can be different for everyone; some examples are using fidget tools, movement breaks, drawing or colouring, listening to music.
Take breaks when you need to. Your teachers and other adults should know you need time out and provide a quiet space for you to use. If they don’t, approach an adult you know and trust to talk to about this.
Peer support: Listen to other autistic people about their experiences and the things that work for them – this can be really affirming and can help you find practical strategies that have been tried and tested! There are lots of blogs, social media channels, informal peer support, and books by autistic people where you can find out more about your community and share your own experiences.
Celebrate yourself: Remember to make space for autistic joy! Autistic people often have special interests which bring a lot of joy to their lives and can be really motivating. Think about how you can fit spending time on special interests or sensory joy into your weekly routine, and how you could connect with others who might share similar interests.
Diagnosis: the National Autistic Society has a really useful guide if you want advice on seeking out an autism diagnosis, what’s involved in the assessment, and what this might mean for you afterwards.
Useful books and videos:
- All my Stripes: A story for children with Autism by Shaina Rudolph & Danielle Royer
- I see things differently: A first look at Autism by Path Thomas
- We’re Amazing 1,2,3! A Story About Friendship and Autism by Leslie Kimmelman
- Wonderfully Wired Brains: An Introduction to the World of Neurodiversity by Louise Gooding2
- Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts by Julia Cook
- All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum by Kathy Hoopmann is a lovely book for explaining autism with pictures of cute cats
- The Secret Life of Rose – Rose and Jodie Smitten
- Different Not Less – Chloe Hayden (contains themes of trauma and abuse – parental guidance needed)
- A Different Sort of Normal (Abigail Balfe)
- A Day With No Words – Tiffany Hammond (picture book about non-speaking black autistic child)
Who can help me?
Accessing support in your local area, or on-line, may be useful if you are experiencing mental health difficulties that are having mild or moderate impact on your daily life . Based on your symptoms, age and where you live, the support below might be useful for you:
Thrive hubs can help you understand your options.
Our service is designed to advise, guide, signpost and get help for young people within Manchester currently facing mental health and emotional wellbeing issues.
Learn more about Thrive HubsFor young people looking for emotional wellbeing support, this website offers a range of information and services, including counselling, psycho-social support, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
An on-line resource with lots of advice and information for young people.
We provide mental health support within education settings across Manchester, including primary and secondary schools and colleges
Offering a 10-week Junior Physical Activity Referral Service (PARS) Their Children’s Healthy Lifestyle Practitioners will connect families to fun activities in your local area.
We provide mental health support within education settings across Salford, including primary and secondary schools and colleges.
Stop.Breathe.Think is a mental health charity offering online counselling to those aged 8-21, who cannot afford or access support quickly. No wait times and available nationally, we provide vital support to those who need it right now.
Offering a variety of resources to encourage healthy relationships between a child and their parent is suitable when a young person would like to or would benefit from developing a better understanding of safe, happy, and healthy relationships.
We provide mental health support within education settings across Trafford, including primary and secondary schools and colleges.
Trafford Youth Engagement team delivers a number of services from our Talkshop base in Sale. Talkshop is an advice, support and information centre for young people aged 11 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs or care leavers).
CAMHS Services
A referral to a CAMHS service might be useful if you are experiencing mental health difficulties that are having a significant impact on your daily life. Based on your age, symptoms and where you live, the following services might be appropriate for you:
CAPS supports parents and carers to help their children (under 5) to develop to their fullest potential and be ready for school. This includes promoting improved quality of parent/child relationships; and supporting parents and carers with their children’s social, emotional development and wellbeing.
The Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS) is a specialist CAMHS community team (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), for children and young people aged 5 – 17 who may be presenting with an eating disorder or eating disorder difficulties. We provide specialist evidence-based therapeutic interventions to young people and their families, through a range of treatments, as well as physical health monitoring.
Galaxy House helps young people with a range of mental health difficulties including eating disorders and medically unexplained symptoms, as well as managing associated behaviours such as self-harm. Admission lengths vary depending on the young person’s needs and their care pathway. We work closely with families and community agencies to enable young people to be discharged from hospital at an appropriate time in their recovery. In addition to its 12 beds (all single rooms with 2 en-suite) Galaxy House has living, dining, therapy and outdoor space. It also has its own school provided across 2 classrooms within the building, which provides National Curriculum education from 9.30am to 3.15pm each weekday by staff from Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital School. Referrals may be for consultation, second opinion or for consideration of admission.
We are a team of Clinical Psychologists, Learning Disability Nurses and Speech and Language Therapists who work across the city in CAMHS bases and in community settings e.g. schools.
Formerly known as the Social Development Clinic, SCAN is a specialist service that supports children and young people aged 3 to 18 years with complex neurodevelopmental differences
The SCP is a specialist assessment team who assess children and young people who might be autistic.
The Tertiary Paediatric Fatigue Team is a team made up of different professionals who can support you to manage fatigue. The team can provide you with help to manage your symptoms and find strategies to manage your day-to-day life. We support you with conditions such as ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Post-covid Syndrome (Long Covid). The service provided is based on NICE Guidance- this is to make sure treatments are safe, effective and based on research. You will receive medical reviews based on your needs at that time, while taking steps towards feeling better.
We work with children with significant learning disabilities up to the age of 18 who are experiencing challenges with their mental health or behaviours of concern. Many of the children and young people we work with are also autistic.
We are a specific CAMHS team for young people who may have been involved in the youth justice system. We are based within Manchester Youth Justice supporting Children who may be on a statutory court order or on intensive supervision.