Autism is a condition that affects the way a person communicates and interacts.
It is a spectrum condition which means that there are varying degrees to how it can affect someone's life. There is a range of issues that a person with autism can find difficult from social challenges to having an over (or under) sensitivity to light, sounds, taste or touch.
Roughly 1% of the UK population, or an estimated 700,000 people, are diagnosed as autistic. Although autism is predominantly diagnosed in childhood when the first signs are usually seen, growing numbers of people aren't diagnosed until adulthood.
