What comes to mind when you hear that someone ‘has autism’ or ‘is autistic’? Does an image of a male, unable to communicate with others, and possibly prone to violent outbursts of temper or temper tantrums, spring to mind? Do you automatically think of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man; speed counting, spouting random facts, and describing a kiss as ‘wet’?
It is estimated that, depending on where you live, and how well people are diagnosed, the autistic community is approximately 1 - 2% of the population. That is the equivalent of the proportion of redheads in a generally Caucasian population (obviously, certain countries have a higher proportion of redheads, while others have lower proportions.)
"Autism is as much a part of humanity as is the capacity to dream." - Kathleen Seidel
This blog is an attempt to dispel some myths about autism, and assist the non-autistic person to
understand the world of autists, particularly those who are ‘high functioning’. Some readers may come to wonder whether a
family member or friend is autistic.
Some may realise that they themselves could be too.
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