What is Autism and Asperger Syndrome?

Around 1 in every 100 people has Autism and it’s an unseen disability.

People who have Autism have difficulty in expressing how they feel as they do not have an understanding of feelings or emotions. Because of this, forming relationships is difficult so it can be hard to make friends. This can be due to Autistic people having a preference to mostly talk about their favoured subject, they have very good concentration skills and are usually very academic and may have other learning differences such as Dyslexia.

Asperger Syndrome is a form of Autism however people with Asperger’s do not tend to have other SpLD’s.

How do the Learning Support Centre support Autistic clients or clients with Asperger Syndrome?

All of our clients are treated as individuals and we never make assumptions about people’s capabilities, instead we take time to get to know everyone individually so that we understand their preferences. Autistic clients or clients with Asperger syndrome are carefully matched to a support worker who has experience of these conditions. Attention is paid to how clients react to what is around them, taking into account any sensory difficulties they may experience. Communication with all clients is imperative and we always use clear instructions and language. Sometimes we liaise with parents or other care professionals in order to build a bigger picture and to ensure all clients are supported in the most effective way to suit their needs.