Autism and social communication difficulties online learning

What does autism and social communication difficulties mean

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects the way that a person communicates and relates to the people and world around them. Symptoms of autism are often seen in early childhood and will impact on the person's ability to function in every day life. The differences associated with a diagnosis of autism can fall into 4 key areas. These include interaction, communication, sensory processing and processing information. 

Interaction

Your child may want to be sociable but may have difficulty initiating and sustaining social relationships. They may misunderstand the norms of different social situations, which most of us pick up without thinking. To support your child to develop their interaction with others it can be helpful to break down a situation and practice the skills that are needed for effective interaction in that situation. 

Sensory processing

There are 5 main senses including sight, smell, taste hearing and touch. There are 2 more senses which are proprioception and vestibular. If your child finds sensory information too much, try to keep the environment calm and ordered. Reduce distractions from noise levels, colour schemes, smells, lighting and clutter. This may help to reduce anxiety and aid concentration.

What can help

SPELL is a framework for understanding and responding to the needs of the people on the autism spectrum. It might be called something different at your child's school and different aspects of this approach may be more relevant than others for your child. 

Take a look at our useful websites for more information.