Understanding autism

Autism is a lifelong, neurological way of experiencing the world. Autistic people often communicate, process sensory information, and connect socially in their own way. It is a spectrum — every autistic person has a different mix of strengths, needs, and traits. Autism is not an illness, and there is nothing to cure.

No. Autism is not a disease, and Soira will never share content that promotes cures or "reversals." What can change with the right support is how comfortably an autistic person moves through the world — through accommodation, therapy where helpful, and people who understand and accept them. If a website or programme promises a cure for autism, treat that as a red flag.

Genetics plays a significant role — autism runs in families, and identical twins are much more likely to both be autistic than non-identical twins. But there is no single "autism gene," and many autistic children have no family history. Genes shape the likelihood; they do not decide it on their own. If you have a family member on the spectrum and questions about your own child, that is a reasonable thing to raise with your paediatrician.

Boys are diagnosed roughly three to four times more often than girls, but the gap is narrowing as clinicians learn more. Autistic girls often present differently — more masking, different special interests, more imitation of peers — and are missed or diagnosed much later. If your daughter is struggling and the answer she keeps getting is "girls are just like that," it may be worth a second opinion.

Legally, in most countries, autism is recognised as a disability — which is part of how autistic people access support, accommodations, and protections. Culturally, many autistic people describe themselves as disabled by a world built for non-autistic minds, more than by autism itself. Both can be true. Soira treats autism as a way of being that often comes with real support needs.