April is Autism Awareness Month

April will be celebrated internationally as Autism Awareness Month with the main focus being placed on educating the public about the condition.

Autism is a complex mental condition and developmental disability, characterised by difficulties in the way a person communicates and interacts with other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

Autism can be present from birth or form during the early stages of childhood – usually within the first three years.

While autism is a lifelong developmental disability, it has no single known cause.

It is a spectrum condition which means while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives while others may have accompanying learning disabilities and may require specialist support for the rest of their lives.

World Autism Awareness Day will be on Thursday, April 2. Every year, autism organisations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. This year will be no different.