Autism is a lifelong developmental condition. It is also known more commonly as Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Though previously it was called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It affects social communication, interaction, and imagination.
Day-to-day difficulties:
Individuals can have difficulties in social communication, interaction, and imagination. Though it is a spectrum condition which means individuals will have various levels of difficulty from person to person.
Some individuals can struggle with understanding social cues. They can often require information to be clear as they may take things literally. For example, if you said ‘pull your socks up, some individuals may then pull their socks up. In addition to this, individuals may have difficulty understanding jokes or sarcasm.
Individuals may not give eye contact and can have difficulties understanding their emotions and feelings. They also may be unable to decipher your tone of voice or facial expressions.
Supportive strategies:
There are various strategies we can put in place. For example, we need to give time for individuals to process information and therefore this may mean being patient to receive an answer. Here are some supportive strategies:
- social stories
- objects of reference
- visual timetables for routines
- picture cards or PEC cards (pictorial exchange communication)
- Be clear in your instructions and give time to process the information
Want to learn more about caring for autism patients? Register for our NCCC course!
