A recent study from the United Kingdom reports that the ‘differentness’ of autistic people hampers their ability to take advantage of resources that support health, education, and housing.
What is autism? The answer is complex. Autism reflects a form of human awareness that is measurably different than that of ‘normal’ perception of the world around us.
If this sounds a little vague, try an answer to the question from the website Autism Speaks Canada — which calls it
” . . . a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference in which autistic people perceive the world, think, and interact with others in unique ways.”
Autism Speaks Canada provides further insights, in particular a description and link to the Autism Spectrum — a grading of how autism presents in individuals. The autism spectrum was developed by the American Psychiatric Association as The Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is much used by those who are autistic themselves or who are associated with people who are ‘on the spectrum.’
The headline of this post reflects the kinds of miscommunication that can occur when those on the spectrum attempt to communicate with those who are not (and vice versa). Some of the results of these awkward, and sometimes damaging, interactions fuel a study by researchers from Swansea University, and Kathryn Williams from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. Read more in The Conversation: ‘Dehumanising policies’ leave autistic people struggling to access health, education and housing – new review
