Autism is a developmental disability that can affect social interaction, communication and language and social imagination. It describes a condition with a wide ranging degree of severity. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support.
People with autism may also be over or under-sensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours. There are more than 700,00 people with autism in the UK - approximately 1 in 100.
Everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world.
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome is part of Autism. People with Asperger Syndrome often have average or above-average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.