Author Archives: tasneemnawaz

Swimming is an extremely good therapy for children and adults  with autism. On top of this it is a unique social outlet. Amongst many advantages [1] Swimming can help someone with Autism improve their coordination, social skills, speech, self esteem and cognition. Swimming and water therapy are recently emerging areas of research looking into the benefits for people living with AutismContinue reading “Swimming and Autism”

I chose this picture because to me it represents happiness and gives me a “warm fuzzy feeling”. Also, to me it indicates anyone can grow and that we should embrace being different, after all “variety is the spice of life”. I look at it and it reminds me we should love and cherish everything. IContinue reading “Why I chose my homepage photo”

Horse riding is a great activity for disabled people especially as it is non-weight-bearing which means can be accessed by many different people. Disabilities that can benefit include riders with Autism spectrum disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy, Vascular accident, development delay, Down’s syndrome, learning or language disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis and injuries resulting from an accident [1]. ThereContinue reading “Horse Riding for the Disabled”

Autism is a developmental disability that lasts for life, and alters how a person communicates relates to people, it affects the individuals experience of the world around them. There are many different levels of Autism for which various support is needed, and is therefore a spectrum condition[1]. Autism as a term has been in useContinue reading “Scientific Foundations of Autism”

What is seen in media doesn’t necessarily mimic life for someone with Autism. As a result, some people are only aware of the gifted autistic, as they achieve more in society, and don’t consider the whole spectrum. In turn, Autism is seen as not a serious disability and sometimes a desired trait.  In addition, parentsContinue reading “Part 7 of media series: Conclusions”

Ideas about Autism may vary amongst people in our society with some being positive and others negative.  Autism can represent itself differently in both males and females. In girls the condition tends to be subtler, making diagnosis more difficult.  Often it can be misdiagnosed in girls, presenting as anorexia or other eating disorders [1]. Autism isContinue reading “Gender, age, race differences”

Whilst few, there are some realistic portrayals of Autism, which are also positive and optimistic, presented in the media. One of these is the documentary United States of Autism is lesser known but gives a great portrayal of Autism. Covering interviews with 20 families depicting a wide range of the spectrum, helps delve into issuesContinue reading “Part 5 of media series: Realistic Autism”

There are lots of negative portrayals of Autism in the media, whereby the condition is shown as being ‘the end of the world’ and devastating. Whilst Autism can be very difficult, there are always positives which many portrayals do not show. Below I have given some examples of these portrayals. The first of these isContinue reading “Part 4 of media series: Negative Autism”

There are quite a few examples of media that focus on the difficulties of reaching adolescence, a challenging period for those with autism trying to gain a balance between independence and the right care.  One series that explores this quite well is ‘Atypical’, focusing on 18-year-old Sam, on the autism spectrum, and his journey to find a girlfriend. WhilstContinue reading “Part 3 of media series: Adolescent Autism”

There is a habit for the media to portray autistic people as inspirational or exceptionally talented. Probably the most famous example of this is the film Rain Man [1] which focuses on the relationship between two long lost brothers, one with autism and the other without. The non-autistic brother’s intentions are to steal the autisticContinue reading “Part 2 of media series: Inspiration Autism”