What is Autism?
Autism is a spectrum condition, with a wide range of known characteristics although how Autism affects a person is entirely individual to their own personality. Autism can affect how people understand and interact with the world around them. Leo Kanner, an American Psychiatrist, first documented the characteristics of Autism in 1943, and in 1944, Hans Asperger, an Austrian psychiatrist, first documented the characteristics of Asperger syndrome. The word Autism comes from the Greek word ‘Autos’ which means ‘self’, linking to the characteristic that people with Autism may find interaction and understanding of others challenging, although this is a generalisation, and the effects of Autism are different for each person. What causes Autism? The causes of Autism are still unknown although research suggests there could be genetic links, and between 44% and 52% of people with Autism may have a learning disability (having an IQ of less than 70) but not all people with Autism will. Around 30% o...