Autism

To receive a diagnosis of autism the individual must show significant differences in the following areas, across several contexts of their daily life:

• Social communication and interaction
• Strong, passionate interests with fixed, linear, thought patterns and behaviours

Autistic individuals also often experience differences in sensory processing

Autism and Communication

Social communication

Autism impacts how a person communicates with and relates to others. Autistic social communication and social interaction styles are different from those used by non-autistic people or neurotypical (NT) people. Within the autistic community, every individual also has their own communication and interaction style. Up to 30% of autistic people use limited or no speech, either completely, temporarily or in certain contexts (UK Parliament Post, 2020)

Social interaction

Autistic people can find it easier to interact socially with other autistic people, rather than interacting with neurotypicals (Crompton, 2020). This is due to differences in social interaction styles. Breakdowns in interaction between autistic individuals and neurotypicals can impact getting on with each other and friendships. Autistic friendships are often built around shared interests and interaction styles, rather than generic small talk!

Some autistic individuals prefer to spend time in their own company, or to interact in alternative ways such as through social media or online gaming. These channels may be not as intense as face-to-face interaction, which can be very tiring and result in a “social hangover”.

You can read more about social communication and play characteristics in neurodivergent individuals here

There is no ‘right’ way to communicate or interact with others, this will look different in everyone. Communication and interaction should be adapted to different individuals, rather than encouraging individuals to conform to neurotypical communication ‘norms’.

Messages such as ‘you don’t talk properly’, or ‘you talk too much’ can be really damaging to self-esteem, especially when heard many times, and can lead to masking and anxiety.

It is important that we celebrate and promote true acceptance of neurodivergent communication styles. These differences bring about new and positive ways of thinking and interacting – diversity is a positive thing for everyone!

Autistic communication styles

Below are descriptions of some typical autistic communication styles:

Autism strengths and challenges

All neurodivergent individuals are different so autism can often look different in different people. You cannot always ‘see’ autism, so it is good to be curious about everyone’s differences. It is also really important to be aware of certain parts of autism which are often misunderstood or missed.

Behaviours can either be internalised or externalised. Internalised or ‘hidden’ behaviours are often the ones that get missed.

Pictures of icebergs can help us to think about actions and behaviours we see in others. The tip of the iceberg that we can see above the water, the smallest part, represents the most obvious and external behaviours we see. The biggest part of the iceberg is hidden under water, reflecting potential reasons for any behaviour. This may also reflect the internalised and hidden behaviours that we can’t see.

Below, we have created two different icebergs to help explain the internalised and externalised characteristics that may be experienced in autistic individuals.

The first iceberg focuses on the common strengths seen in autism. These are attributes that can give the individual significant strengths and unique qualities.

These are unfortunately not always associated with, or fully acknowledged in autistic individuals. This can also be downloaded here.

This second iceberg focuses on common challenges seen in autism. This model emphasises the internalised, ‘under the surface’ parts of autism. These hidden challenges can underlie a lot of the more obvious external behaviours.

These underlying, more subtle characteristics are often missed or misunderstood, compared to the more commonly noticed externalised parts of autism, above the water. This can also be downloaded here.

These are only examples of commonly seen characteristics seen in autistic individuals. Each autistic person may or may not identify with these challenges/strengths. The purpose of these illustrations is to increase the understanding of the less obvious behaviours and the underlying reasons for behaviours. We also want to increase the acknowledgement of the positive attributes autism can give and to celebrate these.

Autism and sensory processing

Autistic individuals often process sensory information differently, e.g. taste, touch, sound. This can include extremely heightened sensory experiences, being much less sensitive to some sensations or, more often than not, switching between the two.

These differences can give great autistic joy, such as loving the feeling of being spun, or in looking at different displays of colour. However, these differences can also lead to extreme discomfort, distress and challenges.

The unpredictability of different sensory experiences, particularly in highly stimulating environments, can cause feelings of anxiety, dysregulation, and lead to meltdowns or shut downs.

Sensory processing differences can be a big part of an autistic, or neurodivergent, individual’s identity, differences and needs. Read more on our sensory processing  page

Autism and emotions

Emotions can be understood, interpreted and expressed in very different ways in autistic individuals, compared to neurotypical individuals. Emotions, both positive and negative, can be felt more intensely, quickly leading to dysregulation and overwhelm.

Emotions may also be expressed in ways that those around them don’t understand, such as stimming (rocking, vocalising, repetitive hand/finger movements). Emotions are very complex and can be particularly challenging for autistic individuals to understand and express, both in themselves and in others.

This, in addition to sensory overwhelm, and the unpredictability of daily lives, can cause a lot of dysregulation and anxiety in autistic individuals.

Read more about emotions and neurodivergence here

Autism and anxiety

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, fear that we experience when we believe something bad will happen. Most of the time, feelings of anxiety are completely normal and important. However, for some people, anxiety can be felt very frequently and with such intensity that gets in the way of everyday life. For example, being so worried about failing a test that you stop going to school all together.

What causes anxiety in autism?

Many autistic individuals experience high levels of stress and anxiety in a range of circumstances:-

• Feeling overwhelmed and out of control in social situations. People can be very unpredictable in the way they react and respond. Autistic people can find it challenging to pick up on social signals and the underlying meaning and emotions that go alongside.
• Change and uncertainty, as well as anxiety for known upcoming events and the possibility of ‘catastrophising’ – having a focus on the worst possible outcome and believing it to be likely even when it isn’t.
• Sensory processing differences which can make the world a very unpredictable and overwhelming place.
• Differences in identifying and expressing emotions

Consistent exposure to these situations creates a build-up of stress, resulting in the individual being in a constant state of hyper-arousal. This is often referred to as being in the ‘fight or flight’ mode. You can read more about this on our emotions page

This can lead to autistic people experiencing meltdowns or shutdowns as a result of being completely overwhelmed (National Autistic Society, www.autism.org.uk

Coping with uncertainty

• As uncertainty can be a big source of anxiety, it’s useful to make life more predictable where possible. Visual supports, like timetables or checklists which use photos or symbols, can help with this.
• It can be helpful for young people to be exposed to some uncertainty as life isn’t always perfect or predictable. Thinking tools can also be used to help young people cope with uncertainty. Parents can talk through scenarios to problem solve and manage anxiety-inducing situations, such as losing their keys or missing the bus.

Assessment and diagnosis

An individualised, needs-led approach may be enough to support a  child or young person to thrive without a formal diagnosis. A needs-led approach is taken in Leeds to help and support young people. This means every child and young person should get the educational support they need whether they have a formal diagnosis or not.

However, there are times where it is appropriate to formally assess a child or young person. A specific diagnosis can be invaluable to understand individual strengths, differences and identities. This in turn can help develop positive mental health. A formal diagnosis can also be important to help other people (friends, family and professionals) understand each person’s strengths and challenges.

To find out more about autism assessments for children and young people in Leeds, go to our Assessment and Diagnosis section.

After receiving a formal diagnosis, first, it is important for you/your family and the child/young person to understand and process what this means individually to them. One diagnosis can mean something very different to someone else and impact them differently; it is important to take time to understand what your diagnosis means to you.

Autistic experiences

Was this helpful?

MindMate will be developing the ND hub further – please let us know what you think so far to help us get this right by completing this online survey.