Autism friendly

Autism friendly means being aware of social engagement and environmental factors affecting people on the autism spectrum, with modifications to communication methods and physical space to better suit individual's unique and special needs.

Individuals on the autism spectrum take in information from their five senses as do neurotypical people. The difference is they are not able to process it in the same manner as their neurotypical peers and can become overwhelmed by the amount of information that they are receiving and withdraw as a coping mechanism. Additionally, it may be that an autistic person is actually taking in more sensory information and is merely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of input. As such, they may experience difficulty in public settings due to inhibited communication, social interaction or flexibility of thought development. Knowing about these differences and how to react effectively helps to create a more inclusive society. It also better suits the needs of the growing number of individuals with autism, Asperger syndrome, or other disorders on the autism spectrum.

Being autism friendly means being understanding and flexible in interpersonal conversation, public programs and public settings. In the end, working together makes our experiences together better for everyone. For example, a person might think that if someone is being rude if they will not look them in the eyes - or doesn't understand cliches like "it's a piece of cake", when in fact there may be a reason for this. Depending upon the individual's level of functioning, a person who hears "it's a piece of cake" may take that literally and not understand that what is really meant is "it will be easy". For someone on the autism spectrum, being in an autism friendly environment means they will be have a manageable degree of sensory stimuli, which will make them calmer, better able to process the sensory stimulation they receive, and better able to relate to others.

Organizations interested in spreading awareness about autism and how to be autism friendly, such as The Autism Directory, have created training programs for communities to illustrate how people with autism may communicate or interact differently from neurotypical people, or people without autism. There are also suggestions for how to modify one's reaction to improve communication. Some training examples are:

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Wikipedia