Findings published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science in advance of World Autism Day (Saturday 2 April) reveal there are fundamental similarities between autistic and non-autistic people in mental processing.

The brain processes information using two systems; System 1 for quicker intuitive judgements, and System 2 for slower rational thinking. These systems are thought to work differently in autistic people, underlying the difficulties they may experience in everyday life and the workplace.

Yet, a study from the universities of Bath, Cardiff, Manchester, and King's College London reports that these fundamental psychological systems are not impaired in autistic people as once thought. In the largest study of its kind, which involved over 1,000 people, the researchers tested the link between autism and "quick" intuitive and "slow" rational thinking.

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