Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition which affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people. It also affects how people perceive the world around them. Autistic people may have difficulties with social communication, social interaction and social imagination. Autistic people often experience sensory difficulties, such as over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours. It is estimated in the UK that more than 1 in 100 people are living with ASD (UK Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007), this means that around 8712 people in Derbyshire are autistic.
ASD is strongly associated with a number of coexisting conditions that may impact on the wellbeing of individuals and their family. Individuals with ASD may develop mental health, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders including; Anxiety, ADHD, challenging behaviours or intellectual disabilities. This page provides links to related to autism including data sources, locally produced documents and national guidance.
View the latest data by clicking on the indicators below: