there might be some foods you particularly enjoy and eat a lot of, and others that you can’t be around due to their texture or smell.you might avoid or seek out certain sensations, like loud noises or specific textures, more than most people, and experience them more strongly.you might be passionately interested in certain things, and as a result learn a large amount about them in a short time – these interests can change throughout your life.you may have good attention to detail, and be good at spotting mistakes.autistic people are often very good at understanding and working with structured systems, for example languages, music, and computers.you might have set ways of doing things, and find it difficult to do them differently.you may be good at seeing patterns or solutions, and be good at seeing solutions to problems that other people might not.making and maintaining friendships might be difficult for you.you may use facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures (hand and body movements) differently to most people.the way you use language and talk might be different to most people.The way these characteristics show themselves can change with age, and also with the situation you’re in. However, there are some characteristics that are common in autistic people. Read more about characteristics of autismĮvery autistic person is different and has different experiences. Early intervention, in the form of support for their individual needs, can be helpful for autistic children.Įven if you aren’t diagnosed until adulthood, getting a diagnosis can be very helpful for identifying your strengths and the things you struggle with, and finding support. Currently, between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 people diagnosed with autism are assigned female at birth (AFAB).Īutism is always present from birth, but it might not be recognised or diagnosed until adulthood. Learn more about autism from autistic people How common is autism?Īt least 1 in 100 people in Scotland are autistic. People also use the term ‘autism spectrum condition’ (ASC). Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)īecause these diagnoses all had the characteristics of autism, they were removed and replaced with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or autism for short.In the past, autism was broken down into several different diagnoses, including: If in doubt, you can always ask an autistic person what term they’d prefer. In this guide, we’ll mostly use the term ‘autistic’. They consider autism to be part of their identity, not a condition to be treated.įor a long time people used the term ‘person on the autism spectrum’, known as person-first language (for example, “I’m on the autism spectrum”), and some people still prefer this. Many people who have been diagnosed with autism prefer using the term ‘autistic’ to describe themselves – this is known as identity-first language (for example, “I’m autistic”). Read more about support here Talking about autism The way autism affects you can change as you grow and develop, and experience different environments. Autism is considered a spectrum because it’s different for every autistic person – some autistic people might need more support than others to live the lives they want to lead. Read more about characteristics of autism hereĪutism is highly variable – the word ‘spectrum’ refers to how autism is experienced differently by different people. For example, some autism characteristics (things you think, feel and do) can make it hard to express yourself in social situations, but you may also be particularly knowledgeable and passionate about topics that interest you. This means you can behave differently to most people, and have different strengths and difficulties. Autism means that the way you think about and experience the world is different to most people. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), usually called autism, is something you’re born with.

Childhood autism spectrum test