Living with autism

This section discusses the various ways of managing with autism on a day to day level. Autism affects people in different ways so it is difficult to define a general set of guidelines for coping.

Some autistic people can live a relatively normal life in that they work, have a family, socialise with others and enjoy a wide range of hobbies and activities. These people are at the mild end of the autistic spectrum and do not display any symptoms as such.

To the casual observer they do not appear to be autistic or different in any shape of form.

But these differences only become apparent in people who are further along the spectrum or have a severe form of autism. These people openly display symptoms of autism and find it difficult to socialise, communicate or interact with other people.

These people require help and support on a regular basis, or within a residential centre. They may need specialised 24 hour care which can only be provided by trained professionals.

This help and support differs between:

• Adults
• Children

Both of these sections contain advice and information about day to day issues such as independent living, money, employment and school.

The thing to remember is that situations which we take for granted can be frightening to an autistic person. Even something mundane such as shopping can be overwhelming to an autistic person who finds the lights, sounds and crowds hard to deal with.