Published on 12, July, 2020
I don't understand what it means when they say that Autism Spectrum Disorder is a Neurodevelopmental Disorder, does this mean you're born with it? or it develops from early childhood? Can somebody please explain? Also is it genetic? I'm sorry for all the questions I'm newly diagnosed and I want to learn as much about the condition as I can.
Hi Rosey,
Welcome to the forum. Autism is related to the development and operation of the brain. In many cases (but not all) it is inherited and is sometimes easy to see 'eccentric' or otherwise odd behaviour in close relatives. It is a permanent thing but you might want to try and work out what is autism and what is something else. Many people arrive at a diagnosis after suffering problems (social or mental) that have arisen because someones autism was not recognised. An undiagnosed person may get very bad responses from people that they interact with and might withdraw or develop bad behaviours in response to this treatment. It is also possible for people with autism to be brought up in families where the parents are not diagnosed but their behaviour and methods of bringing up their children might be viewed as odd by 'normal' people (there is actually no such thing as a normal person, everyone is different) People with autism often struggle to fit into society until they can learn.It is common for newly diagnosed people to struggle with knowing what is autism, what is due to, or follows, from your autism, what is due to other people people treatment of you etc etc.
Autism is just one part of you, it should not perhaps define you. You will always be, and you should always remember to be, you.