What is Autism?
To learn more about autism, one only needs to look on the internet for an abundance of insight and explanations. But for many of the older generations, or people who are from migrant backgrounds, access to simple, clear information may not be as accessible.
Using the strength of our network, we have written a brief, one page explanation of autism and the impact it has on individuals and carers, and then had it translated into a variety of languages.
The original is below, along with a copy in each of the languages we have translated it into thus far.
To open, download or print any of the translated sheets just click on the file next to that language.
If you would like to help us translate it into a language which does not appear here, please contact us.
Using the strength of our network, we have written a brief, one page explanation of autism and the impact it has on individuals and carers, and then had it translated into a variety of languages.
The original is below, along with a copy in each of the languages we have translated it into thus far.
To open, download or print any of the translated sheets just click on the file next to that language.
If you would like to help us translate it into a language which does not appear here, please contact us.
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What is autism?
The term Autism refers to a group of developmental disorders that generally come under the term Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism affects people in different ways. Some children at the high functioning end may have good eye contact and want to be social, while others may have no eye contact, no speech, and whose entire interaction with the world is rocking back and forth and appear indifferent to people. Most children are diagnosed before the age of three, and Early Intervention is the best way to help teach them the skills these children need and which that don't come naturally to them. As a child grows, different parts of the brain develop to build abilities to take each next step in their development. But in autism, these pathways often don't form naturally. Things that a neurotypical (non-autistic) child might find easy, like understanding facial expressions or tones in speech, a child with autism may not. They can often still be taught the skills they lack, but they need to be done 'manually' through the right therapies. If you see a child in the supermarket seemingly having a tantrum, it doesn't necessarily mean they are being naughty; nor that their parent has lost control. Children with autism can find it hard to cope in different situations and their difficult behaviour is often their only way of communicating this. Life for parents of a child with autism can be very stressful. Breakdown of relationships is very high in such families as is stress and depression. For most families, the need for greater services is paramount, as is the hope for greater understanding from other people. They especially need the support of their families and close friends to not judge them and to accept that they know best what they need to be doing for their child. Today, 1 in every 100 children born in Australia has Autism. That means that in the future, 1% of our population may very well comprise of people with autism disorders. That is a disturbing reality. Yet not enough is being done to support these children or their families. Unlike a child who may be blind, or in a wheelchair, a child with autism doesn't have any physical signs of their disability - this just adds to the lack of understanding in the community and the judgement they and their families often experience. We need more funding, more support, and more awareness from our family, our friends and our community. We invite you to learn more about the subject in the hope that knowledge and understanding will help shed more light on this lifetime condition, and offer greater support to these families. |
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