Autism FAQs
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects cognitive, sensory, and social processing, changing the way people see the world and interact with others.
Every autistic person is unique, and they bring with that uniqueness a wide range of skills, qualities, interests, and personality styles. The level of support required can vary greatly among individuals, leading to the ‘spectrum’ of needs that many associate with autism, emphasizing the importance of tailored support and understanding for each person’s unique needs.
As the saying goes, if you’ve met one autistic person with, you’ve met one autistic person! This diversity is what makes neurodiversity so special.
According to statistics provided by Autism New Zealand, autism is estimated to affect 1 in 54 people. It is not a mental illness but a neurological difference, one of many variations of neurodiversity.
Autism is considered an invisible disability since its challenges and difficulties are often not immediately apparent, with no visible physical markers. The cognitive differences associated with autism may also contribute to specific skills such as superior visual memory, attention to detail, and pattern recognition.
Many aspects contribute to challenges faced by families with autistic members, including late or misdiagnosis, behavioral issues, communication barriers, sensory sensitivities, lack of support in educational and social settings, limited access to specialized services, financial strain, high parental stress, emotional impacts on siblings, and social stigma and misunderstanding.
Some of the key areas that we see in many families, and as experienced by our own parent led members include:
- Communication challenges making it difficult to have a means of communicating
- It can be isolating. Autism is largely considered to be an invisible disability and this can be isolating
- Anxiety and rigid adherence to routines make family life very restricted
- Heightened sensitivity to sensory input can make normal outings and activities difficult
- Learning that what we might think of as a simple everyday task, can take others painstaking time and effort
- The level of hands-on care can be much more than that of a neurotypical child and parents often feel like they must wear many hats and perform multiple roles such as as administrators, schooling experts and medical therapists.
- Understanding of autism and how it affects families
- Access to best practice information and early supports
- Inclusive activities that offer respite and/or can bring the whole family together
- Good quality respite care
- Inclusion in the extended family and in their local community
