Autism and social anxiety: qualitative research shows how we

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Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect at least 1% of the population (Brugha et al., 2011) with symptoms including social communication difficulties, obsessive interests, repetitive behaviours, and increased or reduced perception of sensory input (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). These neurodevelopmental differences lie on a spectrum spanning from subtle to severe which means many, especially girls who tend to mask symptoms, and will receive a late diagnosis (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2012). This in turn can have an impact on mental health as the individual struggles to fit into a neurotypical world maladjusted to their needs, but without understanding the reasons why.