You might have heard autism described as “Asperger’s Syndrome” in the past, or perhaps you’ve heard it described as “Neurodiversity”, which is the most fashionable term to use currently.
What is autism, you might be wondering? In lay-person terms, it means that an individual has difficulty with social communication and social interaction. Technically, autistic individuals can speak; they can check into an airport, for example, and technically, they can mix; they can blend with others in an airport lounge, for example, but it is the way they mix, and the way that they communicate that is qualitatively unusual. They may barely look at you, mutter, or be monosyllabic, and interacting with others might be so anxiety-provoking that they need to recover for days afterwards. It’s different for everyone, but it is not just those two facets of being human that an autistic individual may experience difficulty with. Most autistic individuals experience sensory overload. Consider all our senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, proprioception (sensing body position and movement) and taste. Imagine what it might be like to have one or all of those senses adversely impacted simply by being in society. Rigid thinking and behaviours and a preference for repetition and routine also feature in autistic individuals, and so they find the concept of change extremely difficult to manage. It’s quite a lot, isn't it? what is more is that autistic individuals account for 1-2% of the global population, which makes them a minority, and minorities suffer in numerous ways. Furthermore, autism never comes alone. There are often co-occurring conditions, such as ADHD, OCD, but commonly, depression and anxiety.
Recently, autism has received some bad press, with the likes of the Southport killer being described as autistic and, more recently, a 19-year-old autistic male from Luton who killed his entire family as part of a wider plot that would involve him storming into his former school and cause “the biggest massacre of the 21st century” (The Guardian). In reality, autistic individuals are the victims, not the perpetrators of crime, with cuckoo-ing being a major problem, whereby unsavoury individuals move into their properties and control and exploit them. Autistic individuals are vulnerable and are victimised on many levels. Studies have shown that up to 66% of autistic adults have thought about taking their own life, and an alarming 35% have attempted suicide.
At Action for Neurodiversity, we hear the inner worlds of the many autistic individuals who consult us through counselling. They are sensitive and need emotional support that truly “gets them.” Our counsellors and emotional support workers are not only qualified in counselling and/or psychotherapy but also have familial experience with autism, have autism themselves, or have worked in the field previously. Working to a counselling model that has been adapted for the uniqueness of their minds, help is at hand. Counsellors also work with autistic individuals close others as well, for they appreciate how difficult it can be to be the mother, partner, sibling, or friend, watching from the sidelines their loved ones misery unfold.
Action for Neurodiversity is “rich” in what it does, but autism isn’t a very appealing fundraising cause, especially when we are force-fed bad press about autism. The truth is, there’s good and bad everywhere, neurological wiring aside. So we politely request that you consider how you can help us to help them. £50 will buy an hour's counselling plus unending email support for a client.