Autism

An autistic boy playing with little car toys — Megapress / Alamy

Autism is a condition that influences how people perceive the world. It can affect communication and understanding of social stimuli, and may include repetitive or compulsive behaviour, such as placing objects in a specific order. It can also involve keen attention to detail, exceptional memory and an honest world view.

There is no single experience of autism. Much of the medical community, which tends to see the individuals who have greater difficulties with language and social abilities, views autism as a disability. Many autistic people feel that they are just different from neurotypical people – those who display neurologically typical patterns of thought or behaviour – and that the characteristics that autism gives them are positive and fundamental to their identity.

Autism is considered a developmental condition because neural changes linked to it seem to occur in the weeks after conception. About one in 100 people in the UK and one in 59 in the US are diagnosed with autism, and more men are diagnosed than women. There is growing evidence that it presents differently depending on sex. The number of people diagnosed has been climbing in recent decades, probably because of changes in the definition of autism and raised awareness of it.

Autistic people may find some things challenging but do extremely well in other areas. Some have an extraordinary ability to learn about a certain topic or are very creative. The often-exceptional learning and memory skills that some autistic people possess could come about because these individuals have great attention to detail and can process more information than those without autism.

Difficulties with communication and parsing social stimuli can make it hard for some people to make and maintain friendships, though. Part of the reason could be because many neurotypical people aren’t good at communicating with autistic people. Temple Grandin, a scientist at Colorado State University with autism, described feeling “like an anthropologist on Mars” in social interactions with neurotypical people.

Each autistic person has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. Some may require support in their daily lives, while others can live independently. More than a third of individuals diagnosed as autistic don’t develop much speech, which can make it hard for them to communicate.

The causes of autism are much debated, but they are thought to involve several complex genetic and environmental factors. Suggestions that vaccines cause autism have been disproved, time and again. Autism might even be a complex of often co-occurring features caused by different factors.

Implying there might be a “cure” for autism is considered offensive by many who say that autistic people should just be accepted for who they are. Some autistic people do need support to increase their quality of life. Speech and behavioural therapy can help people with social and communication skills, as well as greater autonomy. Hormone therapy has also been investigated as a way to enhance communication skills.

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