Big noise A new study may explain why people with autism are often highly sensitive to light and noise. More

Diagnosis and me ​"My rule-following autistic brain wouldn’t allow me to think of myself as really autistic until someone officially diagnosed me as such" More

Stop with the stereotyping These days, it seems fashionable to speculate about whether or not someone is on the autistic spectrum. Is this acceptable? More

Socially speaking A number of myths about autistic people abound. It's a great myth that autistic people lack empathy. However, the more you get to know an autistic person, the more you realise just how caring they can be. More

That's accepted We are approaching April, Autism Awareness Month.  Please do not be fooled. Awareness is not the same as acceptance and inclusion. More

Guide to 'me' When Dr Camilla Pang was eight, she asked her mum if there was an instruction manual on how to be a human. She was sick of getting things 'wrong' and being told that her behaviour wasn’t 'normal'. She wanted, above everything, to feel like she fitted in. More

Drawing on autism A teenage autistic author published her new comic to show those with autism they are not alone More

Describing different For artist and writer Charlotte Amelia Poe, 30, every day feels like a walk across a frozen pond. “It’s how it’s always been,” she explains. “You’re trying to navigate it and stay safe, but you’re aware that at any moment the ice is likely to crack, and at that point you will sink into the water.” More

Times of trouble With the current covid19 virus spreading anxiety and uncertainty in the autism community, why not send this newsletter to someone who might just need some positivity right now. Subscription link

Diagnosis reaction "She asked how I felt about the news, and I couldn’t speak; I took a moment to catch my breath and say, “Shocked.” I’m not sure why I said that, as I wasn’t — but the relief I felt was unreal. I had waited for what felt like forever to hear those words" More

Let's talk work As many as 10,000 young people with autism could gain work placements over the next two years, thanks to a sponsorship deal with telecoms company TalkTalk. More

Knowledge is power Kate McMurdo decided to arm herself with some legal skills when Lewis was diagnosed with autism aged four. After she struggled to find a suitable school for Lewis, she used her legal skills and secured funding for a place at an independent school. More

Tough Transition “Falling off the cliff” is the term often used by worried parents and family members when young adults with autism and other developmental differences turn 18. More

That's Super The Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League gives people with learning disabilities and autism the chance to live their dreams as rugby league stars, playing a specially adapted version of the sport for the clubs that they love.  Now they are award winners! More

Seeing signs Schools are failing to spot ADHD and autism, which could be contributing to a rise in exclusions, an alternative education provider has said. Kelly Rowlands, who runs schools for excluded children, said seven out of nine of her pupils arrived with undiagnosed neurodiversity issues. More

Autism explained It's never easy but Robyn Steward explains autism, and all the terms that go with it better than most. Listen to a podcast with Robyn. More

Good guidance This quick guide, which is based on research evidence, supports social workers to work with each person to develop a personalised plan, based on an accurate picture of their strengths, wishes and needs, including any sensory differences. More

Questioning PANDAS Some scientists say an immune condition called PANDAS affects as many as 1 in 200 children who have traits similar to those of autism. But many experts contest that figure — and even the condition’s very existence. More

Autism into adulthood A recent study explored the experiences of a number of late-diagnosed adults, who reported feeling alien and isolated, and who were aware of not fitting in (without understanding why) before they were identified as autistic. More

Don't use B-Word "For a while it was the word “autism” itself, or as I liked to call it “the A-word.” I was afraid of what I didn’t understand, so I preferred we not speak the word at all". More

Why the wait? Children are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis and their families are left unsupported during the wait for up to three years. More

One Mums' List Kacie learned five important lessons for her daughter, partner and family. She'd like to pass them on. More

Future's bright So often it's autistic individuals who, with their passion, determination and thinking differences are taking on the challenge of securing the planet's future. Dirk van Meer, a student at Eindhoven University of Technology and is leading a project on recovering metals normally lost to landfill. More

Sensory clues Studies of the sensory system could provide unique insight into brain differences in autism More

Damaging wait New data suggests some NHS patients thought to have autism waited over 19 weeks for their first mental health appointments. Patients at 10 out of 25 English health trusts waited an average of 137 days or more following referral, against a target of 91 days, in spring 2018. More

Funny thing about autism Comedian Joe Wells talks about the one time in his life that making eye contact with another human being wasn't uncomfortable. Recently diagnosed as autistic, he also explains why he has to block out men's voices by playing loud music in his headphones.More

Get visual People on the autism spectrum sometimes learn best using visual supports rather than through auditory input alone. Being 'shown' instead of 'told', helps the person retain and process information. More

Autism, art and achievement Five years ago, Kitty Kaur was diagnosed with autism. She said she had been struggling to cope with "the outside world" but found creating art made her feel she could achieve anything. More

Thinking differently "People don’t often understand our choices and decisions. Often we make different choices than parents with children who don’t have disabilities. We shouldn’t need to justify our decisions to someone else" Read Calleen's take on family life. More

Asking autism Kathy Divine describes herself as a “visionpreneuer” who shares a positive vision for global ethical leadership through her writing and books. On top of that, she’s a qualified dog massage therapist, a coach for aspiring authors and a keen drummer. More

Give the gift of the year Stuck for what to get someone? Why not sign them up for this newsletter? A year of news and views from the world of autism. Amazing. More

Autistic and funny with it Comedian Hannah Gadsby - how an autism diagnosis changed her life More

At home with autism Why do so many parents home-school their children with autism? Ofsted’s recent report says that special educational needs, medical, behavioural or other well-being needs were the main reasons behind such a move for parents and their children More

Autistic mother and daughter “She’s still the same girl she was before she got diagnosed,” I said, tears dripping down my face. “And I’m still the same woman you married, too.” More

Autism at work Our brains don’t all work the same way. One New York-based software company sees that as a competitive advantage. More

Need is different from want "My eldest autistic son lives with daily and debilitating levels of anxiety, most probably on account of engaging with an intolerable and inflexible neurotypical world which bombards him endlessly with noise and communication that is not easy for him to decipher." Read about the need for self-regulation activities and the dangers of using them as rewards. More

Order, order! Structure and security are important to all people.  They  are basic human needs. But being autistic often means that these needs are even more critical. More

Cost of camouflaging "Masking or camouflaging is something just about everybody does on a daily basis. Depending on where you are or who you are with, you act a certain way. People with autism have to do this on a much deeper level. We live in a world that was not designed for us, so we learn to 'hide' the things that make us seem different." More

Picture power SymbolWorld is a website created by Widgit Software specifically for symbol users. It has material for all ages and includes news, personal contributions, stories and learning materials. More

Which way with PDA? The Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of autism might need an adapted approach and a different set of tools. More

Seeing sound, hearing colours What can synaesthesia tell us about autism? More

Story of autism and art Kambel Smith was diagnosed with autism when he was eight years old. Over the past ten years, his father has engaged him in daily improvised storytelling, encouraging Smith to participate in the created narrative by making drawings and sculpture. The results are visible in galleries around the globe. More

The Success Spectrum David Hall  talks about  maximizing the potential of people with autism, the importance of advocacy by people that are actually on the spectrum, and how a third party can sometimes help discover interests. More

Harmful therapy? Applied Behavior Analysis has always provoked strong feelings in both it's supporters and critics. Aileen Herlinda Sandoval-Norton asks, 'How much compliance is too much compliance: Is long-term ABA therapy abuse?' More

Find out and be fair That's the message in Government-commissioned guidance for social workers in practice with autistic adults. Social workers must access specialist training and improve their practice. More

Food for thought A recent study has found Autistic children are 5 times as likely as those with other developmental conditions and 15 times as likely as their typical peers to have unusual food preferences. Why? More

Help for hidden disabilities Heathrow airport has introduced a new scheme to help passengers with hidden disabilities indicate that they may need assistance. More

Play safe Autcraft uses Minecraft to do four key things for autistic children: it gives them structure, creates a safe social space, lets them filter their experience in various ways, and helps them unleash their imaginations. More

Finding your own autism Paul Sandford was teaching students who have autism when he decided to carry out some research into how he could best support them. The more he delved into the subject, the more he thought the symptoms sounded strangely familiar - leading to Paul being diagnosed with autism at the age of 42. More

Keeping calm and carrying on Some autistic people find comfort in specific objects. What happens when they’re not available anymore? More

Capturing autism Winner of the Wellcome Photography Prize Erin Lefevre collaborated with her brother to produce a photographic series that documents the challenges and joys of his life with autism. More

Problem or not? The words 'problem behaviour' and autism often appear in the same sentence but are 'problems' always, well, problems? Check out a great new book for teachers More

Tough to talk about? Listen to Amy Gravino, autism advocate, on what parents can say about sex and relationships to autistic youngsters. More

B is for bullied A study has found autistic children are more likely to be victims of bullying. Researchers call for more resources to help parents deal with bullying behaviours in home and school. More

Rude! "A recent altercation I had with a flight attendant exemplified just how little most people understand about neurological diversity", Laura McKenna (Mum to Ian who has Aspergers). More

Touching The inability to tolerate light touch is a telltale feature of autism. What causes it? More

Design for life How can autism-friendly architecture change autistic children’s lives? How do we design/change schools for children with autism. More

Sad situation Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression over the course of their lives as their neurotypical peers. Yet researchers know little about why, or how best to help. More

A big question Researchers are taking a multi-pronged approach to understanding a great mystery of autism: Why are four times more boys diagnosed with the condition than girls? The lack of information about autism in girls means many are never diagnosed and miss out on support. More

Right to work (without discrimination) A Wales Trade Union Congress survey showed only 16% of autistic adults were in full-time paid work. The organisation also said it was dealing with cases where staff were not getting reasonable adaptations in the workplace, required under the Equality Act. More

Teachers must train Parents of autistic children have protested at Stormont over the lack of mandatory training on autism for teachers in Northern Ireland. More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for improvements to be made in schools. More

Behaviour change Yep, it's time we changed the behaviour of bullies in school. Watch this wonderful video from Robbie. Self advocacy in action. More
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Safe house “A place where you don’t need to translate yourself” Inside Felicity House, a New York social club for women with autism. More

Romance is fine Autism self advocate Amy Gravino on what parents should know about spectrum dating More

That's funny “It’s a huge myth that people with A.S.D. don’t understand or are not interested in humor,” Yep, people with autism not only get jokes - they right them too! More

Wrong label It may be that children given the ‘high functioning autism’ label are not just presumed to have better functioning than they really do, but they actually have far greater challenges with everyday skills than the label would suggest More

Achieve with autism 'It's not a weakness or a liability' - the words of Callum Brazzo. Callum urges folk with autism to bring positive energy and say to everyone "we can do this", be sociable people, show our talents and, no matter what the challenges are, we can come out of the other side More

Can't wait to use this app This looks like a really good app to help youngsters master the art of waiting. Not easy for those on the spectrum (and those that aren't)! More

What's that like? Visit a new online platform where autistic people, family members and carers can share how sensory processing affects their daily life. More

Moving mail A mum whose son with autism failed his SATs exams was moved to tears by a letter from his teacher. Gail Twist, from Merseyside, uploaded a photo of the letter 11-year-old Ben received after his exam results. More

Timely book Robyn Steward's new book might well be timely for someone growing up on the spectrum. Changes during puberty, such as the onset of periods, are challenging for girls on the autism spectrum. Written from experience by an autistic woman, this straightforward guide to periods helps the reader to prepare in great detail, from hygiene to pain medication and sensory experiences to mood swings. More

Soccer and sensory Football mad Alex Manners, 22, from Solihull, in the West Midlands, has Asperger syndrome. He has completed a tour of 92 football league clubs as part of his Football for Autism campaign. More

Help getting hired If you are in education and wondering how to prepare for a job, check out this advice for autistic students looking for employment. More

Onboard with autism In an accident it could be very important that the emergency services recognise quickly that a special needs person may be involved in the accident. Check out these car stickers More

Different worlds "To be autistic is to live in a world where everything is too loud, too smelly and too bright, populated by people who say one thing and get angry when you fail to realise that they really meant something different."  Read this insightful piece by Charlie Hancock. More

Hospitals hold up Two-thirds of mental health trust leaders are concerned about the effectiveness of Transforming Care to help people with learning disabilities return to communities More

Train JAM Virgin Trains has become the first travel company outside of Northern Ireland to introduce a ground-breaking initiative for people with communication barriers. The JAM card More

Is it autism? The UK's leading autism charity claims that as many as one in five people with eating disorders could be autistic. More

Stretching autism A project taking yoga classes into schools has helped children with social and emotional challenges, according to a head teacher. More

Essential learning Up to 2.8m social care and health staff will have to undertake mandatory learning disability and autism training, teaching them to 'challenge attitudes and unconscious bias', under new government proposals. More

OCD or Aautism? Autism and OCD frequently accompany each other; scientists are studying both to understand how they differ. More

Driving discrimination Seems like the DVLA have their seat-belts in a twist over autism! More

Pull the other one! So do autistic people even have a sense of humour? A new BBC podcast, 1800 Seconds on Autism, aims to dispel that no-humour myth, among other assumptions - with razor-sharp wit running through it. More