Wiltshire Adult Autism Strategy 2017/20

Joint adult autism commissioning strategy to improve the health and well-being of autistic people living in Wiltshire

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Table of contents

1. Purpose overview....................................................................................................................2

2. About Autism............................................................................................................................3

3. National policy context...........................................................................................................4

5. Transforming care....................................................................................................................6

6. Local policy context................................................................................................................6

7. Needs analysis..........................................................................................................................7

8. Priorities and actions...............................................................................................................88.1 Increase awareness and understanding...........................................................................................8

8.2 Create a care pathway......................................................................................................................9

8.3 Improve access to services.............................................................................................................10

8.4 Physical and sensory issues...........................................................................................................11

8.5 Transitions.......................................................................................................................................11

8.6 Health and wellbeing.......................................................................................................................12

9. Closing summary...................................................................................................................13

Appendix 1 – What is autism?....................................................................................................13

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1. Purpose overview A commissioning strategy is a plan which sets out how support and services for people on the autistic spectrum will be developed in the local area. There are several ways that support Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to help understand what is important for autistic people in Wiltshire.

These are:• Talking to people in Wiltshire, their families and people important to them, to ask

them what they think the highest priorities are and what they think needs to be done over the next three years.

• Looking at legislation (laws) and national guidance from the Government.• Looking at the needs of the people in the local area and thinking about how these

are likely to change in the future.• Reviewing the support and services that are available in the area and thinking about

how well these are working for people on the autism spectrum and whether they could be improved.

• Researching what is happening in other areas of the country to see how the services in Wiltshire compare.

All this information will help to inform and develop plans to ensure that people on the autism spectrum living in Wiltshire can live fulfilling and rewarding lives.

This is an update of the 2010/13 Joint Commissioning Strategy for Adults with Autism in Wiltshire. This refreshed strategy includes the views of people on the autistic spectrum. This strategy has been written after consulting with people in Wiltshire, to find out what they think the most impthree years, 2017/20.

This strategy will be implemented in the context of reduced public funding; our strategic aims will need to be delivered using existing and reduced resources, so the focus is on reshaping existing services to deliver any planned improvements.

Together the priorities and proposed actions will support all adults on the autistic spectrum in Wiltshire to live within a society that accepts and understands them.

2. About Autism Autism is a developmental disability. This condition affects how people understand and interact with the world around them.

Autism is known as a “spectrum condition”. This does not mean that people’s autism range from low functioning to high functioning or can be described as mild or severe. Rather, it means that the condition affects every autistic person differently. Some autistic people are able to live relatively independent lives, and others may need more extensive specialist support throughout their life. In any case, autism is a lifelong condition which is likely to create support needs.

(Direct quote from Wiltshire Autism Partnership Board member 2016)

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Many people with autism may also experience sensory sensitivity or under-sensitivity, for example, to certain sounds, tastes, smells, colours or touch. Many people can also have other conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a learning disability, dyspraxia, dysphasia and difficulties understanding the spoken word.

Although some autistic people can have an accompanying learning disability, the needs of autistic people are often very different to those with a learning disability or mental health condition and people often refer to an autistic spectrum condition as being a ‘hidden disability’. For example, people with Asperger’s syndrome typically have fewer problems with speaking than others on the autism spectrum, but they do still have significant difficulties with communication that can be masked by their ability to speak fluently. They are also often of average or above average intelligence.

Autism therefore presents a real challenge to commissioners as it is a spectrum condition presenting a wide range of needs.

3. National policy contextThe Autism Act 2009 was the first ever disability-specific law in England. The Act did two key things:

1. It put a duty on the Government to produce a national strategy for adults with autism, which was published in March 2010. This was called ‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’.

2. It put a duty on the Government to produce statutory guidance for local councils and local health bodies on implementing the adult autism strategy by the end of 2010. This guidance was published in December 2010.

Since then, the Government has written more plans and given more guidance to help support Adults on the autistic spectrum; details of which can be found on the Department of Health website. The two most important of these are the ‘Think Autism’ strategy which was published in 2014 and The Care Act (2014).

The 15 priority challenges for action are grouped under three headings. These have been put forward by people on the autistic spectrum:

An equal part of my local community 1. I want to be accepted as who I am within my local community. I want people

and organisations in my community to have opportunities to raise their awareness and acceptance of autism.

2. I want my views and aspirations to be taken into account when decisions are made in my local area. I want to know whether my local area is doing as well as others.

3. I want to know how to connect with other people. I want to be able to find local autism peer groups, family groups and low level support.

4. I want the everyday services that I come into contact with to know how to make reasonable adjustments to include me and accept me as I am. I want the staff who works in them to be aware and accepting of autism.

5. I want to be safe in my community and free from the risk of discrimination, hate crime and abuse.

6. I want to be seen as me and for my gender, sexual orientation and race to be taken into account.

The right support at the right time during my lifetime7. I want a timely diagnosis from a trained professional. I want relevant

information and support throughout the diagnostic process. 4

8. I want autism to be included in local strategic needs assessments so that person centered local health, care and support services, based on good information about local needs, are available for people with autism.

9. I want staff in health and social care services to understand that I have autism and how this affects me.

10. I want to know that my family can get help and support when they need it.11. I want services and commissioners to understand how my autism affects me

differently through my life. I want to be supported through big life changes such as transition through school, getting older or when a person close to me dies.

12. I want people to recognise my autism and adapt the support they give me if I have additional needs such as a mental health problem, a learning disability or if I sometimes communicate through behaviours which others may find challenging.

13. If I break the law, I want the criminal justice system to think about autism and to know how to work well with other services.

Developing my skills and independence and working to the best of my ability14. I want the same opportunities as everyone else to enhance my skills, to be

empowered by services and to be as independent as possible. 15. I want support to get a job and support from my employer to help me keep it.

4. The Care Act 2014 The Care Act emphasises that local authorities must think about how they can help keep people well and prevent people’s needs from becoming more serious. This applies to everybody living in the area, not just those who currently receive support from the council. This should help to improve outcomes for adults on the autistic spectrum.

This means that:• People who provide services must think about how to make life better for people on

the autistic spectrum.• The Government will have the same rules for everyone about who can get care and

support.• Everyone should have better information and advice about being healthy and

preventing ill health.• People will have more control over their lives and choice over how their needs are

met.• Family carers will get better support.• Health services and social services must work together so that people can be

supported better.

The Care Act also gives increased rights for carers to receive support. It introduces a duty on local authorities to meet eligible carer’s support needs. Carers will no longer have to show they provide substantial care and on a regular basis in order to request a carers assessment.

5. Transforming care

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In 2012, following an investigation into criminal abuse at Winterbourne View Hospital, the Department of Health initiated a national programme of action “Transforming Care” to transform services for people with Autism who have mental health conditions or behaviours that are challenging. Transforming Care aims to change services for autistic people away from institutional models of care, closing some hospital inpatient provision and strengthening the support available in the community. This is a 3-year plan and will run until 2019.

The plan states that Wiltshire aims for care and support to be:

Closer to home In line with best practice models of care Personalised and responsive to individual needs over time Based on individuals’ and families’ wishes

The set of criteria against which we will measure our success is:

I am safe I am helped to keep in touch with my family and friends I have regular care reviews to assess if I should be moving on I am involved in decisions about my care I am supported to make choices in my daily life I am supported to live safely and take an activity part within the local community I get good quality general healthcare I get the additional support I need in the most appropriate setting I get the right treatment and medication to keep me well I am protected from avoidable harm, but also have my own freedom to take risks I am treated with compassion, dignity and respect I have a choice about living near to my family and friends I am cared for by people who are well supported.

The National Service Model supporting people with a learning disability and/or autism who have a mental health condition or display a behaviour that challenges, which supports the Transforming Care plan also sets out nine core principles which the partnership will use to evaluate and measure progress.

The nine core principles are as follow;

1. I have a good and meaningful everyday life.2. My care and support is person-centred, planned, proactive and coordinated.3. I have choice and control over how my health and care needs are met.4. My family, paid support and care staff get the help they need to support me

to live in the community.5. I have a choice about where I live and who I live with.6. I get good care and support from mainstream health services.7. I can access specialist health and social care support in the community.8. If I need it, I get support to stay out of trouble.9. If I am admitted for assessment and treatment in a hospital setting because

my health needs can’t be met in the community, it is high-quality and I don’t stay there longer than I need to.

(https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ld-draft-serv-mod.pdf)

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6. Local policy contextIt is important, during this period of change, that we work together to ensure we commission efficient and effective services that meet the needs of our customers and their carers. The Wiltshire Autism Partnership (WAP) Board has been involved in informing this commissioning strategy and will oversee its implementation. The WAP Board is comprised of representatives from health and local authority commissioners, providers, private and voluntary sector providers, carers and people on the autistic spectrum.

The foundations of the autism strategy are expected to be in place at local levels, they are:

Increasing awareness and understanding of autism among frontline workers.

Developing a clear, consistent pathway for diagnosis of autism in every area, which is followed by an offer of a personalised needs assessment.

Improving access for adults with autism to the services and support they need to live independently within the community.

Focusing on helping adults with autism into work, by improving access to information, advice and guidance, ensuring adults with autism gain from wider plans to improve opportunities in the workforce, and providing effective support through the benefits system.

Enabling local partners to plan and develop relevant services for adults with autism to meet identified needs and priorities, learning from what already works and involving adults with autism in developing those services where possible.

7. Needs analysisA needs analysis is a way of working out what the needs of a group of people are, so that the right support can be planned.

National research estimates that more than half a million people in England are autistic. This is equivalent to more than 1% of the population (the same proportion of the population as has dementia). The population of Wiltshire is 470,981 as at the time of the last census in 2011. This means that we can estimate that 4,710 people living in Wiltshire are autistic.

There are currently 642 autistic people known to Wiltshire Adult Care services. 360 of these are in receipt of a service. 193 of these people are recorded as having Asperger’s. 353 are known to the Community Team for Learning Disabilities and 83 to the Community Mental Health team. 12 people are placed in out of county residential homes. (Performance data Nov 16)

Other autistic people in Wiltshire could be receiving support from other services but are not included in our data; this could be due to their primary classification for needing

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support being recorded as a physical or mental illness. Other people may not yet have been diagnosed as having autism. People may be eligible for support but not receiving it for various reasons, for example they have chosen not to ask for it.

Young People approaching adulthoodThe 0 – 25 SEND Team supports young people with a diagnosis of autism when they are approaching adulthood. The following is a table that shows numbers of young people on the autistic spectrum and an Education Health and Social Care Plan/Statement (EHCP) aged 16 – 25. But this doesn’t include:

Those no longer in education/further education – their EHCP/Statement will have ceased so they may be still receiving support (e.g. working with a social worker) but not counted here

Young people who don’t meet the EHCP/Statement threshold, but still have a diagnosis of autism.

The table below shows the number of children diagnosed with autism up to the age of 18:

 Children diagnosed with Autism 2013/4   2014/5  

Total Number % Number %Total Boys 188 81.17% 189 71.13%

Total Girls 44 18.83% 77 28.87%

Further statistical information can be found in the Joint Strategic Assessment on the Wiltshire Intelligence Network website. http://www.intelligencenetwork.org.uk/health/jsa-health-and-wellbeingStatistics regarding Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group can be found at http://www.wiltshireccg.nhs.uk/publications/reports-and-strategies

8. Priorities and actions 8.1 Increase awareness and understanding The development of Autism Aware Communities was emphasised in Think Autism, based on the “dementia friendly communities” concept. The expectation is that in autism friendly communities: people will be aware of and understand more about autism; people on the autism spectrum and their families/carers will be encouraged to seek help and support; and people on the autism spectrum will feel included in their community, be more independent and have more choice and control over their lives.

Many of the difficulties that autistic people experience is the result of a poor understanding of autism and its impact in the wider community and amongst community professionals working in a range of agencies:

Health service practitioners such as GPs, community nurses, occupational therapist Social care workers such as social workers, customer advisors, customer co-odinators Further education professionals such as lecturers and learning support staff and

professionals who support people into work such as disability employment advisors

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The criminal justice system such as police officers and prison officers.

There is no evidence of a higher rate of offending amongst people with autism; however, the social difficulties of autistic people may make them both vulnerable to becoming victims of crime and, sometimes, perpetrators.

Wiltshire will:

a) Promote autism awareness training for professionals that will be appropriate and proportionate dependent on their level of responsibility.

b) Raise awareness in local communities c) Work with the criminal justice system and ensure autistic adults have access to an

‘appropriate adult’ to facilitate communication and understanding between the person with autism and police. This will protect the rights, welfare and safeguarding of the person with autism who may be vulnerable.

d) Raise the profile of autism in relation to the new Hate Crime Strategye) Encourage communities to participate in Safe Places across Wiltshiref) Promote the Autism Alert card g) Work with the Wiltshire Advocacy Service (Rethink) to promote awareness and train

staff8.2 Create a care pathway

Work has been done to ensure that there is a consistent pathway for diagnosis. We now need to work on the care pathway post diagnosis and ensure that a personalised care & support needs assessment is offered. This requires planning and support services to be creative, purposeful and tailored to individual specific requirements, thus promoting individual outcomes.

The life opportunities of autistic people should be determined by their personal choices and needs, taking account of the individual characteristics of their autism, rather than by any diagnostic label.

It is, therefore, the intention of the strategy to ensure that factors likely to be particularly emphasised by people on the autistic spectrum are fully understood and considered throughout person-centered planning, assessment, care management, service delivery and the review process. This way of working enables an empowering, flexible and creative approach, placing focus on individual outcomes instead of a process driven, risk aversive culture.

Wiltshire will:

a) Map out and create a care pathway with considerations being given to gaps in services and improvements to existing services.

b) Explore how to support volunteers and third sector groups in planning and commissioning services locally so that autistic people have more choice, which is only of value when there is suitable service available to choose from; these services may be low level preventative support, for example buddying schemes or tenancy support services

c) Promote the use of direct payments and personal health budgets d) Ensure person-centered planning is at the heart of all services, when individual strengths

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and aspirations are recognised to ensure individuals can participate successfullye) Continue to work with children’s services so that person-centered planning starts when the

person is a child and is built upon through transition and into adulthood. This intention includes the need to develop protocols, systems or better joined up working between children and adult services to ensure that workers in adults’ teams can access appropriate records from previous assessments

f) Ensure Wiltshire’s person-centred programme of work considers the needs, varying communication styles and positive experiences of people on the autistic spectrum.

g) Explore how to meet the needs of autistic people who have a mental health and or complex and challenging need, in line the Wiltshire Transforming Care Partnership Plan.

8.3 Improve access to servicesImproving access to services and support is a longer-term goal as it will require a cultural change within public services and in the community, that will be linked to the training and awareness raising referred to i n 8 . 1 .

Our key aim is, therefore, to embed understanding of autism to enhance mainstream services instead of creating separate services for people based solely upon the criteria that they have a diagnostic label of autism. However, it is recognised that this ethos should be underpinned by specialist knowledge and support when needed. An example is ‘reasonable adjustment’ which requires an additional focus to ensure that the most marginalised people really do have equal opportunity.

Initially, this will be delivered by ensuring that other current and emerging strategies take full account of the specific needs of autistic people, promoting inclusive provision within Wiltshire. This will help to shape and influence the approach of other people, processes and services, including: primary and secondary health services assessment and care management person-centred planning self-directed support housing and support options employment opportunities

The training and increased community awareness referred to above will also play a key role in achieving this aim.

It is recognised that many autistic adults are dependent on their families well into adulthood, whereby most care is provided by unpaid people and an aging population. Many of these autistic people may be unable to access the support they need to continue to live with their family if they wish, or to live independently.

Others, primarily with complex needs including behaviour that may challenge services, tend to be placed outside of their local area in expensive specialist units or in generic learning disability or mental health accommodation. This accommodation may not be fit for purpose, while the support given may not provide the skills necessary to enable an autistic person to learn independent living skills and reach their full potential.

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Wiltshire will:

a) Actively promote and support alternatives to residential care ensuring that everyone who has the potential to live more independently is given the chance to do sob) Ensure partnership arrangements with Registered Social Landlords include the needs of autistic adults in housing planning, design and allocationc) Review complex out of county residential placements with a view to commission local services to meet their needs, if this is in the persons Best Interest. Those people who may need very specialist, possibly secure accommodation will be reviewed with the view to commission services jointly in the regiond) Provide flexible support services to keep people at home with their family, if they want toe) Use Wiltshire’s Care & Support Provider Framework to draw on the skills and expertise of providers who have a ‘track record’ of providing person centred support. This includes autistic adults who live alone, in shared accommodation or in their family homef) Ensure that autistic adults who live at home are made aware that they are eligible to request an Assessment. Their carers will also be eligible for a carer’s assessment when they are providing, or intend to provide, regular and substantial amounts of careg) Ensure carers are aware of their entitlement to have a carer’s assessment of their needsh) Ensure carers have easy access to sources of quality information

8.4 Physical and sensory issuesSome public spaces can be inaccessible for autistic adults, largely due to sensory issues, but also because of lack of support to help them navigate new places.

Wiltshire will:

a) Commission Community Connecting and WEST services to include autistic people

b) Work with voluntary and third sector groups to establish alternative options for support

c) Ensure travel training is made available for autistic people

d) Raise awareness within local communities of sensory issues

8.5 Transitions Children and young people under 18 who have been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition are currently identified in the existing department for children and education records.

However, as these children become adults, these young people have traditionally not been easy to identify as adult care departments have not classified people by diagnosis.

This has contributed to many autistic people falling through the gap between departments.

Wiltshire will:

a) Identify and count autistic adults to support the future commissioning of appropriate services

b) Identify children with autism who have complex needs (including behaviour that may challenge services) and are likely to need support from adult care in the future

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c) Ensure all young people have person-centred, holistic transition plans that consider their future needs.

d) Ensure that children, young people and adult can be entered onto an at-risk register, for those at risk of a mental health inpatient admission, in line with the Transforming Care Partnership plan.

8.6 Health and wellbeing Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire NHS have a joint responsibility to commission services that reduce health inequalities for vulnerable groups in the community. This includes people on the autistic spectrum.

To support this overall objective, information relating to the population of autistic people needs to be improved. The NHS is a member of the Wiltshire Autism Partnership and through the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment process, health and social care partners will add to commissioning information available for planning and performance monitoring.

Wiltshire will:

a) Ensure health professionals have a better awareness of the autistic spectrumb) Promote person-centred health support tools such as ‘Health Action Plans’. This includes the need for participation and planning for health-related decision making (Mental Capacity Act, 2005)c) Ensure reasonable adjustments are made to improve patient experience in GP surgeries and hospitals in line with NHS Accessible Information Standard and The Royal College of PR actioners framework for making GP surgeries more ‘autism friendly’. https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/accessibleinfo/http://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/toolkits/asd-toolkit.aspxd) Ensure autistic adults can access primary care health services

It is also important to recognise that the complex nature and characteristics of autism can contribute to increased behaviour and mental health problems that can challenge services. The Transforming Care Partnership plan will look to address the complex needs of this group of people. For more information please see;

http://www.wiltshireccg.nhs.uk/publications

Wiltshire will:

e) Identify autistic people with ongoing high support needs so that, as far as possible, potential emergencies can be identified so that effective contingency plans are available and service responses can be accessed at short notice; there should be emphasis on preventative approachesf) Promote the Transforming Care Partnership plan by using local inpatient services, short breaks, advocacy, annual health checks, hospital passports, care program approach and the intensive support service. g) Develop and expand the capacity of high quality, local services for autistic people to understand and respond to challenging behaviourh) Provide specialist services locally which can support good mainstream practice as well

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as directly serve a small number of people with the most challenging needs.i) Strengthen commissioning knowledge which, at its simplest level, requires better information about how many autistic people also challenge services. This should be broken down to establish:

young people in transition people placed in the area funded by other authorities people living at home not receiving services people placed out-of-area

This will enable better service development.

9. Closing summary In accordance with one of the key principles for effective commissioning, the involvement of autistic people and their carers b y w a y o f c o - p r o d u c t i o n will be integral to this commissioning strategy.

The Wiltshire Autism Partnership (WAP) Board will support Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to deliver this joint commissioning strategy. Once the strategy is approved an action plan outlining tasks to achieve these goals will be jointly set out. The progress of the action plan will be monitored through the Joint Commissioning Board and the Wiltshire Autism Partnership Board. Wiltshire Council will continue to involve all stakeholder groups, to inform our future commissioning intentions and future service developments.

The priorities and challenges of this will be discussed and coordinated through the Wiltshire Autism Partnership. Autistic adults and carers are part of this group. However, the wider views of autistic people and carers across Wiltshire will be sought through an identified group of social, parent and therapeutic groups which are all agreeing to work actively with the Wiltshire Autism Partnership.

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Appendix 1 – What is autism?Autism is the name for a neurological developmental disability, which affects many aspects of a person. It is lifelong, and cannot be ‘cured’ or treated. Being autistic is like having a differently-wired brain or a different computer operating system. Autistic people can have difficulty in society because they are different and in the minority. Currently around 1 in 100 people are diagnosed with autism, although this number is increasing all the time as we get better at recognising the traits[1].

Autism affects a wide range of traits, and it is different for every individual. Some descriptions of autism refer to the ‘triad of impairments’ – deficits in interaction, communication, and imagination. This triad is an incomplete description though, because it focuses entirely on social traits. There is also a lot of overlap and no clear distinction between the three categories, which makes it an unhelpful way of describing autism.

The main traits can be better summarised in these three categories:

Sensory Cognitive Social

Sensory differences

Autistic people tend to have different sensory experiences. They may be over- or under-sensitive to different senses (e.g. light, touch, sound). They may find specific sensations particularly unbearable, even though other people do not (e.g. a particular smell). They may also find particular sensations particularly enjoyable or comfortable, and might ‘stim’ (short for self-stimulate) in various ways to help their senses stay regulated (e.g. rocking, making sounds).

Cognitive differencesAutistic people tend to have very different ways of thinking and processing. These traits may not be obvious to outsiders, but can be very significant in an autistic person’s life. Some autistic people have a very particular type of thinking - for example some think exclusively in pictures and might struggle with words.

A very common cognitive trait is a tendency to prefer sameness, routines, and predictability. New and unfamiliar situations may be very difficult to process or understand, and so familiarity is a source of comfort. This can also manifest as a tendency to focus very deeply on specific or narrow interests – which could be any topic (from Disney films to nuclear physics!).

Another common cognitive trait is differences in executive function abilities, which are mental ‘skills’ that people often take for granted - such as the ability to plan and organise actions, start, stop, or change activities, and control the focus of attention. These traits can particularly overlap with other conditions like ADHD and dyspraxia.

Social differencesAutistic people tend to have very different social instincts to non-autistic people. This can be thought of as a ‘culture clash’ between autistic and non-autistic social rules. For example,

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making eye contact is very important for many non-autistic people, but for autistic people eye contact is often unnecessary and distracting. Because autistic people are a minority, their differences are considered to be problems - but a group of autistic people interacting together might get along quite naturally. This doesn’t necessarily mean all autistic people will get along, though; of course, they are just as varied as everyone else.

A common source of culture clash is the way people express and interpret emotions. Autistic people’s facial expressions and body language may be very different to non-autistic people, and so they may misinterpret non-autistic people’s feelings, and in turn be misinterpreted by non-autistic people. For example, some autistic people have do not vary facial expressions as much as non-autistic people, and might be perceived as angry or upset when really they are feeling neutral. Or conversely, they may be interpreted as feeling neutral or happy when they actually are upset but are not making the facial expression that non-autistic people would expect.

These misunderstandings are sometimes incorrectly described as a lack of empathy, but in fact many autistic people describe an excess of empathy which makes them feel overwhelmed by others’ emotions. The source of miscommunications between autistic and non-autistic people originates from both sides having difficulty understanding each other – a ‘double empathy problem’[2], not from a specific deficit of autistic people.

Disability

Autism is a disability. All autistic people are different, and have different skills and difficulties – but all have problems associated with being different to the majority of people. These problems can be things like struggles with executive dysfunction (e.g. organising and planning), difficulty coping with sensory environments (e.g. crowds and public places), and difficulty communicating and being understood by others.

Every individual has a different combination of skills and difficulties, and a strength or weakness in one area doesn’t define someone’s abilities in another area. For example, one autistic person might be able to study for a degree, but cannot leave the house without help.

Not all autistic people necessarily identify as disabled. But autism is generally considered a disability for purposes like the Equality Act. The Act defines a disability as an impairment which affects a person’s ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

Other conditions may be more common among autistic people than the general population, even though they are not a part of autism itself. For example:

Intellectual disability Specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) Epilepsy

Mental health conditions are also particularly common among autistic people. Research has found that:

1 in 15 people diagnosed with Asperger syndrome had symptoms of depression. [3]

84.1% of autistic people had at least one anxiety condition, such as phobias, panic disorder, separation anxiety, etc.[4]

(Direct quote from Wiltshire Autism Partnership Board member 2016)

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References

[1] Wing, L. & Potter, D. (2002). The epidemiology of autistic spectrum disorders: is the prevalence rising? Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 8(3), pp. 151-161.

[2] Milton, D. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’. Disability & Society, 27(6), pp. 883-887.

[3] Tantam (1991)

[4] Muris et al (1998)

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