We hear from ten children about how autism feels for them, and what they’d like other children to understand.
‘Autistic people can do amazing things,’
says Noah, age 10. But Tristan, 8, describes
his autism as: ‘Not knowing what to say,
and everything feels too noisy, and I get
upset easily.’
So what exactly is autism? Autistic people
don’t look any different from anybody else,
but their brains work a little differently. This
means they find some things harder – and
some things much easier – than other
people. Having autism doesn’t stop
somebody from being successful or being a
good friend. But it can make life difficult, as
Reese, age 13, explains: ‘I find it really hard
to know that I’m a bit different to other
people.’
can’t always tell if somebody is joking.’
Tyler, 15, told us: ‘I don’t understand
people all the time, and I get frustrated
that they don’t understand me’. Mo, 14,
said: ‘I find it really hard to make friends
so when I do they become really
important to me. When I was younger, I
needed my friend to help me understand
the other children at school.’ Some
children told us they were happier with their
own company. Jack, 8, said: ‘I’m not a group
person. The things I like are alone
activities.’
Children with autism are often sensitive to
sounds and smells that other people don’t
notice. This can make school stressful, as
Tristan explains: ‘I don’t like the noise in
the class. It makes me feel angry and
makes my tummy feel funny.’ Noah told us:
‘I can smell many crazy things that other
people can’t and I hear the quietest
sounds. But I get overwhelmed. If my
senses are overloaded, I can’t concentrate
or understand what people say.’
Autism can make emotions, as well as senses,
more intense, as Reese explains: ‘I think
non-autistic people don’t feel emotion as
strongly as we do.’ So autistic people might
become angry, anxious, and upset more
than other people. These feelings are hard to
About one in every 68 people has some type
of autism, so you probably know somebody
who’s autistic – maybe a friend at school or
somebody in your family. Or perhaps you are
autistic yourself. Not all autistic people are
the same: some don’t talk much and might
need a lot of help at school, while others are
sociable, learn well and lead independent
lives. They usually have a few things in
common, though.
Most of the autistic children we spoke to said
making friends was difficult. Nina, 9, said: ‘I
don’t know what to say to other children
– I have to think really hard about it. And I
control, and hard to escape from. Iris told us:
‘I need to be left alone for a while if I’m
overwhelmed or anxious.’
As well as these struggles, many people with
autism have some amazing abilities, too.
Tyler said the best thing about being autistic
is his memory: ‘I remember everything!’
Jack told us: ‘The best thing is being able
to read long books easily,’ while Reese
said: ‘I think we see detail that other
people don’t.’ Because of their different
ways of looking at the world, autistic people
can also be extremely creative. Iris said:
‘Being autistic gives me special skills in
my art and song writing.’ And Ravi, 11,
enjoys losing himself in his imaginary worlds:
‘I make up stories about the places in my
head, and draw comics about characters
I’ve invented.’
Some autistic people use their memory and
focus to explore a particular interest in great
detail. Noah is interested in everything to do
with bacteria, while Mo’s interests include
medical documentaries and murder
mysteries. Mo explains why these special
interests are really important: ‘It gives you
something to focus on instead of thinking
about things that make you sad. Also you
gain knowledge that could help you in