Dreams Come True support children and young people living with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting conditions. Many children we support live with autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD or simply 'autism'. But what does this mean? 

We hope this blog will help you understand a little more and how Dreams Come True can support children and young people living with autism. 

Is autism an illness?

No. It is important to understand autism is not an illness or disease. Autism is also not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure". It just means your brain works in a different way from other people and some people need support to help them with certain things. That's where we come in.

How does a person living with autism behave differently? 

Autism is a spectrum which means everybody living with autism is different. Some need little or no support and others may need help from a parent or carer every day. People living with autism may:

• find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
• find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
• find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
• get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
• take longer to understand information
• do or think the same things over and over

Are there any other names for autism?

There are other names for autism used by some people, such as:

• autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – the medical name for autism
• autism spectrum condition (ASC) – used instead of ASD by some people
• Asperger's (or Asperger syndrome) – used by some people to describe autistic people with average or above average intelligence

(Source of information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/what-is-autism/)

How can Dreams Come True help a child or young person living with autism?

Our Dreams Team help the families we support to realise their child’s dream by really listening to their needs and picking up on every detail that will make the dream extra special and stress free. They then pull out out all the stops to make this happen! 

Dreams create moments of magic that have a lasting impact. 

Corey's story

Corey has Epilepsy, Autism, and is non-verbal. He can easily become agitated and finds it hard to communicate sometimes. ​

Listening to music helps Corey manage his autism as it quickly calms him down, however he struggles to work the remote on the TV. If he can’t work the remote control, he gets very frustrated and his mum knows he finds the controls much easier on an iPad, as he has used one before.​
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Corey’s mum found herself constantly giving up her phone so he could listen to music or watch the programmes he likes. This was difficult for her because Corey would get frustrated, and sometimes aggressive, if he couldn’t have her phone immediately. ​

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Thanks to Dreams Come True, Corey now has his very own iPad. This means Corey can put on his favourite music whenever he wants.  Corey loves putting on films and fast forwarding to the end where music is played in the credits. Dreams Come True also provided him with headphones, so he can listen in peace, and a shock-protective cover to keep his new prized possession safe.

The iPad has given Corey control and Mum says he’s now a lot calmer and happier. She also now has her phone back whilst Corey has something of his own.

Corey's Dream is part of our Small change, Big impact Programme. This programme aims to improve the daily lives of isolated children through access to vital equipment and technology, and it's clear to see the lasting impact Corey's iPad is already having. 

Donate now to make Dreams like Corey's come true