It is often said that if you have met one person with autism you have met one person with autism, as no two people will experience it in the same way. It is an invisible condition that impacts people across all ages, genders and ethnicities.
The areas of difficulty for those on the spectrum can largely be summed up under 4 headings:
- Social Communication
- Social Imagination
- Social Interaction
- Sensory Processing
Some of the barriers those with autism can face include communication, sensory processing, predictability, social acceptance and inclusion and the need for patience and understanding.
In this initiative we work with AsIAm. Their central message is that autism owns nobody, it is simply a part of some people. A different way of thinking and behaving.
Autism defines no one and you must always look (and listen!) to the person not the label. Only then can you truly understand and support a person living with the condition.
For more see www.asiam.ie.