What is Autism?
Everyone’s brain works differently. This is called Neurodiversity- everybody will think about and experience things in different ways.
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You might be able to think of people you know who are very similar to you, and other people who are very different. When your brain works in a certain way, this is called being autistic. If you have an autistic brain you might:
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Have really strong interests which you like to do for hours at a time
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Know lots of information about certain topics
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Have certain movements which make you feel calm, or that you do when you are excited or stressed
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Find it easier if you have a routine to follow, or know what to expect
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Prefer to not look people in the eye when you are speaking to them
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Have difficulties with making friends, or keeping friends
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Find that spending time with other people makes you feel tired
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Be sensitive to certain noises, lights, materials, foods or smells
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Your assessment
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When we meet you, we want to learn about what it is like to be you. We want to hear about the things you are good at and interested in, and the things you find difficult. We will ask you to do some activities- there are no right or wrong answers and you might even enjoy these! We know it can be hard talking to someone new. To help you know what to expect, we will send you more information before you have the assessment with us.
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We will also talk to the adults that know you well at home and school. We will then put all the information together and decide whether the way you think, talk, do things and play means that you are autistic.
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Being autistic is not a bad thing. Autistic people have things they are better at than non autistic people. However, because most people are not autistic, it can sometimes be difficult for autistic people to get by in a world which is not set up for the way their brain works. If we find out you are autistic, the adults around you can put support in place to help you in school and at home.
If you want to find out more information about neurodiversity and being autistic, you can watch these videos
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOoASAnYvKc
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