What are the Signs of Autism?

What I know

Autism is a Spectrum Disorder and therefore the signs you could be autistic differ from one person to the next.

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Common Signs of Autism are:

- Not being able to understand and respond to someones facial expressions

- Lack of eye contact

- Struggling to maintain friends

- Taking things literally

- Taking more risks than a normal person due to not understanding danger

- Laughing or giggling at the wrong time

- May avoid cuddles

- May not respond to their name

- Have intense interests

- Struggle with changes to routine

- Appear moody or depressed

- Have meltdowns

- Wear the same type of clothes and be resistant to changing

- Have a sense of order e.g. Socks in one drawer, T-shirts in another.

-Don't feel like they fit in or wonder why they think differently to everyone else.

- Struggle to understand jokes or take things literally

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Autism is rarely diagnosed in girls as they are able to pick up social cues better than boys. Therefore from a young age they will already be masking and able to hide the signs they are autistic.

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I for instance always knew I was different because I just did not feel I fitted in anywhere. I really struggle to maintain friendships and kids didn't really want to play with me.

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I was however very good at sport, had an obsession for POGs, Marbles, Polly Pocket and TY beanie bears. I loved collecting things and had things in orders of colour or size. Everything had a level of improtance.

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Being good at sport meant I was able to mix with people who also played the same sport. Sport also provides rules and structure which, I like so thrive in.

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I spotted a pattern to my behaviour where I would have friends for a while but the friendships would fizzle out. So I don't really keep in touch with people when my life moves on. There are only 2 or 3 people in my life that have known me for over 10 years.

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I also hated noises. Noises caused me massive stress and still do. It is like a bomb that goes off in my body. It causes an extreme anxiety.

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Autism is classed as a disability but it is usually the envirionment you fiond yourself in that has the disabling affect and not the condition itself.

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