Whether it’s at school, at work or in social settings, people with autism are often misunderstood.
They suffer discrimination, intolerance and isolation. For many, that means a lifetime of exclusion from everyday society.
In an attempt to understand the reasons behind this, the National Autistic Society commissioned research into levels of awareness and understanding of autism among the public and published a report on its findings in June 2007.
Overall, the research shows that awareness of autism is high but there’s a lack of understanding about what it really means to live with autism. The National Autistic Society knows from experience that this has a negative impact on people with autism and their families.
The research also shows that people think more positively once they know a person has autism. But there’s a significant gap between those good intentions and the reality experienced by people living with the condition.
Here are the main findings of the research:
Awareness of autism is high but awareness that Asperger syndrome is a form of autism is low.
Of those surveyed, 92% had heard of autism but far fewer had heard of Asperger syndrome (only 48%). Asperger syndrome is mostly a 'hidden disability'. This means you can't tell that someone has the condition from their outward appearance.
While there are similarities with autism, people with Asperger syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average or above-average intelligence. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia and dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy.
Autism is much more common than people realise.
Respondents were asked how many people they thought were affected by autism. The majority (90%) didn’t know how common it is.
There are over half a million people with autism in the UK. That's one person in every 100.
There’s a lack of understanding and awareness about some of the key characteristics of autism.
Many people correctly identified some of the key characteristics of autism, including difficulty communicating with others, difficulty making friends, a love of routines and obsessive behaviours.
However, some other common characteristics, such as the need for clear and unambiguous instructions, being disturbed by noise and touch, and having difficulty sleeping, were less well known. Ten per cent of people thought autism was not a disability.
There’s a misconception that people with autism have special abilities.
Over a third of respondents (39%) thought most people with autism have special abilities, for example in maths or art. In fact, it’s estimated that only one in 200 people with autism have special abilities.
There’s a mistaken belief that autism mostly affects children.
Over a quarter (27%) of those who had heard of autism mistakenly thought that it mostly affects children. A child with autism grows up to be an adult with autism.
People don’t realise that there’s no cure for autism.
There was considerable confusion about whether autism can be cured. Less than half (only 39%) were aware that there is no cure. Although there is no cure, access to the right help and support can greatly enhance the lives of people with autism.
A representative sample of more than 2,000 adults aged 16 and over was surveyed across 175 sites in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The report can be viewed on Think differently about autism.
