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Autism - Takiwātanga

Fast Facts About Autism For Kids (World Autism Awareness Day)

An animated film (5 minutes 30 seconds) providing an introduction to the autism spectrum. It was created as part of the UK Amazing Things Project. The video is available in a range of languages at Amazingthingshappen.tv [1].

Key points to remember about autism - takiwātanga

  • autism - takiwātanga (ASD) is a difference in development that affects communication (verbal and nonverbal), social skills and behaviour
  • children with autism - takiwātanga can have a wide range of challenges and strengths, and these can vary with age and over time in an individual
  • if your child does have autism - takiwātanga, there are services available to support your child, you and your whānau

What are the names for autism - takiwātanga?

Takiwātanga means in his/her/my own time and space. It comes from a Māori phrase for autism - "tōku/tōna anō takiwā".

There is no single way of describing autism that everyone agrees on. People may refer to autism, autism spectrum, the spectrum and ASD. People with autism often prefer to identify as autistic, an autistic person, a person with autism or as an autistic individual. In the health system, it's often called autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

What is autism - takiwātanga?

Autism - takiwātanga is a difference in development that affects:

  • communication (verbal and nonverbal)
  • social skills
  • behaviour

Communication and social skills develop in children at different rates. Communication involves many different skills. Children learn to understand what people say to them; speak clearly and use words and sentences to talk and get their message across; understand and use gestures, signs and body language; look, listen and take turns in a conversation.

Read more about how children learn to communicate [2]

"It is common for me and other people with autism to be unable to say the words to describe what is bothering us. It's also hard for us to figure out that other people don't experience the world the same way we do".

Children with autism - takiwātanga often have differences in the way they behave. They can sometimes enjoy a narrow range of interests which they like to repeat and they may also like to play with toys differently than other children. Children with autism - takiwātanga can sometimes make unusual movements with their body. They may have more difficulty with change than other children.

Read more about signs and symptoms of autism - takiwātanga [3]

Children with autism - takiwātanga interpret the world differently

Children with autism - takiwātanga interpret the world and what is happening around them differently than other children.

Autism - takiwātanga is different for every child who has it

When people talk about autism spectrum, they are referring to the wide range of differences in children with autism - takiwātanga. These differences can vary with age and can also vary over time in a child.

Rather than thinking about your child with autism - takiwātanga as sitting somewhere on a line, imagine each of their skills in a circle. Your child will have strengths in some areas and challenges in others.

This line isn't really helpful for thinking about your child with autism - takiwātanga

 

Image of a line representing the autism spectrum

This circle may help you understand your child's mix of strengths and challenges. Each colour wedge in the circle represents a skill. Each black dot shows where in the circle a child sits for that skill. The skills in the circle are those where children with autism - takiwātanga can have differences.

 

A circle representing the autism spectrum

See the full comic strip explanation [4]

How common is autism - takiwātanga?

Overseas figures vary from about 1 in 59 to 1 in 100. There is not much information about how common autism - takiwātanga is in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Autism - takiwātanga is more common in boys than girls. But this may be partly because not all girls with autism - takiwātanga have been diagnosed.

It might seem like there are more children with autism - takiwātanga now than in the past. This is probably because of better recognition than in the past. It could also be because of changes in autism - takiwātanga diagnosis.

Autism - takiwātanga occurs in children and adults - it is usually diagnosed in childhood. Sometimes a diagnosis is not made until the teenage years or adulthood when social demands exceed a person's abilities.

What causes autism - takiwātanga?

We don't know exactly what causes autism - takiwātanga but it is likely to be a combination of factors. Children with autism - takiwātanga are more likely to have a similarly affected family member. This suggests genetic factors play a part.

Some children will have a rare medical condition that may be associated with autism - takiwātanga.

Extensive research shows that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine does not cause autism.

See all the content on autism - takiwātanga [5]

References: 

Ministries of Health and Education. 2016. New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (2nd edn). Wellington: Ministry of Health. http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-autism-spectrum-disorder-guideline [6] [Accessed 8/3/2021]

Acknowledgements: 

The quote from people with autism - takiwātanga is reproduced from the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (2nd edn) [6], as allowed by the Guideline's copyright policy. The quotes are copyright New Zealand Ministries of Health and Education.

Thank you to Rebecca Burgess for the images of the line and circle from her comic strip explanation of the autism spectrum. Rebecca is a freelance comic artist and illustrator living in the UK. See The art of autism - connecting through the arts [7].

External links and downloads (see the online version for more information at other websites)

Autism spectrum disorder information (Ministry of Health) [8]

See the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) guideline [6]; the New Zealand ASD guideline summary (PDF, 667KB) [9] and a range of ASD publications [10]. The ASD guideline is a living guideline that is regularly updated and refined to reflect new evidence and changing user needs. See the latest additions [11]. 

Pasifika Autism Support Group [12]

Pasifika Autism Support Group is for Pasifika parents and carers to meet with others and support and share similar experiences and gain new information. It also aims to bring awareness of autism to the Pacific community.

Altogether Autism [13]

An information and advisory service for people with ASD, their families, whānau and the wider New Zealand community. Freephone: 0800 ASD INFO (0800 273 463).

ASD information (Ministry of Education) [14]

  • supporting children and young people with ASD [15]
  • professional learning for people supporting students with autism [16]

The resource is useful for people supporting children and young people with ASD, including parents. It introduces some of the challenges faced by young people with ASD, some of the characteristics of these disorders, and practical strategies for support.

ASD information (Raising Children Network: The Australian Parenting Network) [17]

The Raising Children Network website provides comprehensive information on ASD. Please be aware that some of the content (such as information about services available, costs and information about funding of medications) applies only to Australia and may not be relevant to New Zealand. However, much of the information is relevant to New Zealand families. 

Visual strategies for ASD (Usevisualstrategies.com website) [18]

Students with ASD and lots of other students with behaviour or communication challenges tend to be visual learners. They understand what they see more easily than what they hear. That means they benefit significantly from the use of visual strategies.

National Autistic Society, UK [19]

The UK National Autistic Society website provides information about ASD. Much of the general information about ASD is relevant to New Zealanders but information about specific services won't apply to New Zealand.  

No evidence that MMR vaccine causes autism - more information (Immunisation Advisory Centre, NZ) [20]

  • Measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and autism (PDF, 425KB) [21] (Immunisation Advisory Centre, NZ): fact sheet, written for parents and caregivers
  • MMR Vaccine Does Not Cause Autism (PDF, 110KB) [22] (Immunisation Advisory Centre, NZ): a list of more than 20 articles with conclusions showing there is no scientific evidence that MMR vaccine causes autism 

This page last reviewed 28 June 2021.
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Links
[1] https://amazingthingshappen.tv/?projects=amazing-things-happen
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/communication-whats-involved
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/autism-takiw%C4%81tanga-signs-symptoms
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/understanding-autism-spectrum-comic-strip-explanation
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/autism-takiw%C4%81tanga-asd
[6] http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-autism-spectrum-disorder-guideline
[7] https://the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/
[8] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1961?language=mi
[9] http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/nz-asd-guideline-summary-aug16-v3.pdf
[10] http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/disability-services/disability-projects/autism-spectrum-disorder-guideline/asd-publications
[11] http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/disability-services/disability-projects/autism-spectrum-disorder-guideline/living-guideline-group-keeping-asd-guideline-date
[12] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2489?language=mi
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[14] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1963?language=mi
[15] http://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/special-education/supporting-children-and-young-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-asd/
[16] https://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/special-education/supporting-children-and-young-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-asd/#PLD
[17] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1964?language=mi
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[19] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1967?language=mi
[20] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2200?language=mi
[21] http://www.immune.org.nz/sites/default/files/ConcernAutismIbdMmrImac200908V02Final.pdf
[22] http://www.immune.org.nz/sites/default/files/resources/Written%20Resources/ConcernMmrAutismIac2019.pdf
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