Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Autism is a spectrum condition. Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities , mental health issues or other conditions , meaning people need different levels of support. There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK - that's more than 1 in 100. People from all nationalities and cultural, religious and social backgrounds can be autistic, although it appears to affect more men than women . For this reason, The National Autistic Society (NAS), World Autism Awareness Week aims to draw attention to the 700,000 people living with autism in the UK – both to educate those unaware of the condition, and to help make the world friendlier to those who are affected by it. For more i