Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way people perceive the world and interact with others.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently from other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; Autism is not a disease and it can not be cured. Often people feel that being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

Autism is a condition of the spectrum. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism also have learning disabilities, mental health problems or other conditions, which means that people need different levels of support. All people on the autism spectrum learn and develop. With the right kind of support, you can help everyone to live a more fulfilling life of their own choice.

How common is autism?

Autism is much more common than most people think. There are around 700,000 autistic in the United Kingdom, that is, more than 1 in 100. People of all nationalities and cultural, religious and social backgrounds can be autistic, although it seems to affect more men than women.

How do people with autism see the world?

Some autistic people say that the world feels overwhelming and this can cause them considerable anxiety.

In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and participating in the daily life of family, school, work and social life, can be more difficult. Other people seem to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, but they may also have difficulty establishing a good relationship with autistic people. Autistic people may wonder why they are "different" and feel that their social differences mean that people do not understand them.

Autistic people often do not "seem" disabled. Some parents of autistic children say that other people simply think their child is bad, while adults discover that they are misunderstandings.