Learning Diversity 

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects the way people communicate and interact with the world. Characteristics generally appear in early childhood and will be present, in some form, for life.

Understanding autism

Around 1 in 100 Australians is autistic and 85% of the community has a personal connection with an autistic person.

Autism affects the way individuals interact with others and how they experience the world around them. Every autistic person is different, which means that each person has unique strengths and challenges.

“If you’ve met one person on the autism spectrum, you’ve met one person on the spectrum.”

Prof Stephen Shore

Autistic people may have:

• challenges with communicating and interacting with others
• repetitive and different behaviours, moving their bodies in different ways
• strong interest in one topic or subject
• unusual reactions to what they see, hear, smell, touch or taste
• preferences for routines and dislike change.

Autism - a different brilliant!!