Writing about autism

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For the second of April, I'm writing an article about autism for a local branch of the Norwegian Autism Association. It will hopefully be printed in one or more newspapers. I'm writing together with a girl from my branch, but I haven't seen what she's been writing so far and am currently writing on the assumption that we'll put together the article after the fact. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had any comments, suggestions and/or ideas.
Here's what I've been writing so far (roughly translated);

Today's autismday. It falls on the 2. of April each year, and is an international day arranged to spread awareness about and around autism. Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by problems with social interaction and communication.
In addition to autism is Asperger's syndrome and "Non-specific developmental disorders", which together constitute what is called the "autism spectrum" by professionals.
Common features are problems with social interaction, and many people who fall within the spectrum are experiencing social anxiety to a greater or lesser degree.


The current plan of attack is to write about autism in general, then about the common features, then specifically about Asperbergers and our experiences with it.

Cool! Am I allowed to ask what region? I have been thinking about getting involved some way myself.

I think you should somewhere point out that there is a fairly broad spectrum so there is not one specific behavior or lack there of that can identify if a person is on the spectrum or not. And that our universities are full of higher functioning people on the spectrum.

Sør Trøndelag!
And thanks, good suggestion!

Don't forget to mention the physical aspects, like motor skills problems, and sensitivities to touch, loud noises, bright lights, tastes, and smells. And many of us have mental processing problems that often leads to a time delay in processing both input and output. Also, many of us are very into routines, and many are introverts.

Sorry to butt in with my two cents worth, but these are all common traits of spectrum disorders, and I myself have most of them.

I think it might be good to mention that people with Autism or Aspergers experience emotions like everyone else. A student in class today said that "unless you had Aspergers and didn't feel, you would relate to being heartbroken" in a nutshell. I have Aspergers but I didn't say anything, but I know people like me with Aspergers do feel emotions. That's like the third person I've heard say this...and I don't know where they are coming from with that theory. Its not a matter of not feeling, it's a matter of feeling in a different way possibly...but feeling all the same.

This is good, thanks!

Mention how our form of empathy is vastly different from others.

Good point!