Knowing if a person has autism

Knowing if a person has autism

There are different things that help us know if a person is autistic.

We call these the ‘diagnostic criteria’.

Difficulties to communicate

People with autism often find it hard to communicate with others.

Autism can make it hard to understand the behavior of other people.

Autism can make it hard to build relationships with others.

Doing the same activity again and again

Some people with autism enjoy doing the same things again and again.

Autism can make a person have a smaller number of interests than other people.

Sometimes this is because people with autism are very passionate about their hobby.

Sometimes it is because repeating the same activity makes them feel safe.

Sometimes changes to the usual routine can be stressful for an autistic person.

Being sensitive to light, sound or touch

Some people with autism are more sensitive to light, sound or touch.

If they are in a noisy place, an autistic person might cover their ears.

If a room is very bright, they might feel upset.

Sometimes an autistic person might not like being touched.

This does not necessarily mean they want to be left alone.

Sometimes the feeling of being touched can be uncomfortable for an autistic person.