Sometimes people think about autism as just being introverted, socially awkward or ‘quirky’ but this is invalidating.

The reality is so much bigger than that. Autism is a neurotype that affects how people interact with and perceive the world around them.

You are either autistic or not autistic. The spectrum refers to the many different ways being autistic can impact a persons life.

It is better to conceptualise autism like a starburst of different features, so every autistic person has a different, spiky shape.

People of all genders can be autistic.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. However due to the associated difficulties autistic individuals will often have comorbid mental health conditions.

Learning disabilities are conditions that present with reduced intellectual abilities, autism will not directly reduce an individual’s intellect but the two often co-occur, with over half of autistic adults having a learning difficulty.

Research in the 80s found that some autistic people have differences in ‘theory of mind’ (recognising what someone else is thinking or feeling). This does not mean autistic people lack empathy and indeed they are often extremely curious about other people as well as being kind hearted, loyal and supportive.