4428.0 - Autism in Australia, 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/07/2011  First Issue
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Disability DISABILITY

Of people with autism, 74% reported having a profound or severe core activity limitation (that is, they need help or supervision with at least one of the following three activities - mobility, communication or self-care).

People with autism often have difficulties in doing a number of different daily activities. According to SDAC 2009, the greatest challenges for people with autism lay with communication. There were 68% of people with autism reported having a profound or severe communication restriction, meaning they either cannot understand or be understood by others at all, or has some difficulty being understood or understanding others (it may be they communicate more effectively using sign language or some other non-verbal form of communication).

Mobility was the next most significant area of restriction, with 63% of people with autism having a profound or severe mobility restriction (Graph 5). To have a profound or severe mobility restriction the person either needs help or supervision to move around. In a significant proportion of the cases with autism, the support will take the form of supervision rather than direct assistance.

All persons with autism, by Disability status and Level of core activity limitation - 2009