Was ‘doubting’ Thomas autistic? asks Angela Rigby

In the words of the National Autistic Society, autism is ‘a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world’. Every autistic person has their own unique set of strengths and challenges, but some common challenges are with communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviours, unexpected changes, and sensory overload. Challenges with communication can include taking things literally, struggling with abstract concepts, and needing extra time to process things. In regard to education, the National Autistic Society says that autistic children are three times more likely to be excluded from school, and that 70% of autistic children and young people said ‘school would be better if more teachers understood autism’. They also discovered that the designs of schools can be poorly adapted to the needs of some neurodivergent students….

Angela Rigby is Minister of Christ Church URC, Tonbridge, and St John’s Hill URC, Sevenoaks

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This is an extract from an article published in the June 2024 edition of Reform

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