Teach Me About Autism
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    • How's it feel?
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What is autism?

Watch the video to have Professor Puppet explain autism to you, or scroll down for a version that uses pictures to explain.

Autism is a difference in people's brains

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Because of that, autistic children experience the world DIFFERENTLY.

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Some things are HARDER for some autistic kids to do than for other kids.

Like making friends...

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...and talking

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...and dealing with changes when things don't go the way they expected.

With other things being autistic helps kids! One of the best things about being autistic is having favorite areas of interest.

An autistic kid who likes the movie Cars might know the ENTIRE script for the movie - something most kids can't do!

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Another autistic kid might know everything about fans...

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Or they might know a lot about dinosaurs!

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Every autistic kid has their own interests!

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Being autistic helps kids on the autism spectrum focus on the area they're most interested in! And that's great!

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Autistic kids tend to feel their senses differently from others.
Some have stronger senses than other kids...

Hearing

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Can make noises too loud.

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Sight

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Can make lights too bright.

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Touch

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Can make clothes itchy.

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Taste

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Can make food taste yucky.

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Smell

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Can make things too smelly.

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Other autistic kids aren't as sensitive as other kids. 
They might like to...

Jump!

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Make loud noises!

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Most kids are more sensitive to some things than others, and less sensitive to other things.

Overall, autistic kids are different from other kids, but they can be just as happy as any other kids.

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If you're an autistic kid, you should be proud of your unique self!

Website at a Glance

For Younger Kids
Autism Explained for Young Kids

For Older Kids
Intro to Autism
Characteristics
The Up-Side
Famous Autistic People
Autistic Kids' Stories
My Sibling Experience
Quizzes and Games

For Caregivers
Main page
Published: 7/06/2014
Last Updated: 6/21/2020
Disclaimer: The author of the website is a speech therapist, not a psychologist, and frequently writes based on personal experience. As a result, advice given here may not be completely accurate and may not apply to everyone. The author is not an expert on autism, and readily admits to having a lot left to learn. This website should not be used in place of a professional. The author is not responsible for the content of other websites for which links have been provided, nor content from other contributors.
Photos used under Creative Commons from theglobalpanorama, amsfrank, the_light_house_photography, DaveR1988, burrows.nichole28, jfingas, TheJRB, cliffchen1973, Blogging Dagger, tolomea, mr.waffle, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Rod Waddington, dumbledad, EmilyGrace Photography, andymudrak, Phineas H, meaduva, donnierayjones, ironypoisoning, CarbonNYC [in SF!], r.nial.bradshaw, Au Kirk, kevin dooley, Franklin Park Library