Autism is not a mental health problem. It's a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how you see the world and how you interact with other people. You might have heard the phrase ‘on the autism spectrum’, or ‘autistic spectrum’. Autism is a spectrum condition, which means it affects people in very different ways. Autism might also be known as Asperger’s.

People with a diagnosis of autism might struggle interacting with others in social situations and understanding emotions, find it difficult to be around loud noises or bright lights and sometimes they prefer to have a routine.