What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the medical name for Autism
Autism is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Although Autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. It’s a spectrum condition, which means it affects people in very different ways.
Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.
Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure". But some people need support to help them with certain things.
What causes Autism?
Nobody knows what causes autism, or if it has a cause. It can affect people in the same family. So it may sometimes be passed on to a child by their parents.
Autism is:
- not caused by bad parenting
- not caused by vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine
- not linked to diet
- not an infection you can spread to other people
What to do if you think you or your child may have Autism?
If you think you or your child may have signs of Autism, the next step is to talk to someone about it.
You could speak to:
- a GP
- a health visitor (for children under 5)
- any other health professional you or your child see, such as another doctor or therapist
- special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) staff at your child's school
Ask them about referring you or your child for an autism assessment.
An assessment is done by autism specialists. It's the only way to find out if you or your child are autistic.
Helpful Websites:
AWARE Airedale & Wharfedale Autism Resource: AWARE is a parent-run group supporting families with children and young adults on the autistic spectrum (formal diagnosis not required).The group covers the Airedale, Wharfedale, Bradford and Craven areas and beyond. https://aware-uk.org/
National Autistic Society: We're here to help the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their families. Be it running specialist schools, campaigning for improved rights or training companies on being more autism-friendly, we are dedicated to transforming lives and changing attitudes.https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism
Ambitious About Autism: The voices of autistic children and young people are at the heart of everything that we do. We want to help create a world where autistic children and young people are heard, included and supported. https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/