Autism
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Autism is something you’re born with or will first appear when you are very young. It's not an illness but a lifelong condition.
What is autism?
Autism, sometimes referred to by health professionals as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), is something you’re born with or will first appear when you are very young. Autism is not an illness, or a medical condition with treatments or a 'cure', but some people need support to help them with certain things. It is a lifelong condition.
Being autistic means that the way you think about and experience the world is different to other people. This means you can behave differently to other people, and have certain strengths and challenges. For example, some autistic characteristics (things you think, feel and do) can make it hard to express yourself in social situations, but you may also be particularly knowledgeable and passionate about topics that interest you.
What is autism? - a short film from the National Autistic Society
Produced by the National Autistic Society, the following short film is narrated by Alan Gardner; also known as The Autistic Gardener.
Important: Autism spectrum disorder
Autism spectrum disorder, usually called autism, is something you’re born with. Autism means that the way you think about and experience the world is different to most people. This means you can behave differently to most people, and have different strengths and difficulties.
See further advice and information, including identifying some of the signs of autism.
Read more about autism spectrum disorder at NHS informAssessment and diagnosis
The signs of autism can be different depending on the individual and their age. Typically, your first steps when looking to assess autism will be with your local GP, who can then refer to other health professionals within NHS Highland and supporting services within the Highland Council, such as The Pines, who are based in Inverness and offer a neurodevelopmental assessment service (NDAS).
Local support
- The Pines - Highland Neurodevelopmental Service - a multi-agency team supporting children and families with Neurodevelopmental needs throughout the Highlands
- Thriving Families including autism resources - funded by Highland Council to provide an independent and rights-based information, advice and support service for anyone involved in the care of children and young people (up to age 25)
- Highland branch of the National Autistic Society (NAS) - aiming to support and create opportunities for autistic individuals and their families in Highland, and to raise awareness of the realities of autistic life in order to promote greater acceptance.
- Highland One Stop Shop is a free, person-centred support service for adults aged 16 and over with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) who live in the Highlands, as well as their families/carers and professionals. They offer free social groups and activities, scheduled drop in times and 1-1 appointments for advice and support on a range of issues. HOSS also have an NHS Diagnostician based at Albion House, which enables them to provide pre as well as post diagnostic support to adults contemplating or going through assessment.
- MySelf-Management (Highland) - encouraging and supporting individuals to take greater responsibility for their own health and wellbeing