Terms of engagement How to approach the difficult world of dating on the spectrum More

Make time make sense “First, then” is a technique used to help organize the day, or the session, or the next three minutes. More

Home is where it's at In a new guideline, NICE says children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, who have behaviour that challenges, should have the right support to live their lives in the community like everyone else. More

Also Adults "Autistic children become autistic adults and, as the first generation of mainstreamed students grow up, we need to start having 'an adult conversation' around autism." More

Designed by autism Every detail of the new Shrub Oak International School near NYC—from windows to wall colours—was crafted with autistic students in mind. More

Travel chaos Travelling on public transport can be pretty stressful at the best of times. However, for someone who is autistic, venturing on their everyday commute and facing the unknown can be an incredibly overwhelming experience. More

Ready or not? The number of individuals with ASC entering adulthood each year is expected to double over the next 6 years. What can they expect? Jobs, independence, somewhere of their own? More

Problem diagnosed Putting autism diagnostic services in the hands of a private provider hasn't worked in Kent and hundreds of children are still waiting. More

Help at hand Biometric technology could be the future of autism care. Wristband sensors can monitor tiny physiological signs and alert support workers and clinicians to an individual’s growing anxiety. More

Sensory Spectrum Satsuki Ayaya remembers finding it hard to play with other children when she was young, as if a screen separated her from them. Sometimes she felt numb, sometimes too sensitive; sometimes sounds were muted, sometimes too sharp. More

Adults too Although autism is predominantly diagnosed in childhood, increasing numbers of adults are finding out that they too have autism. This issue, of later life diagnosis, was brought to light recently after nature photographer and TV presenter, Chris Packham, went public with his experiences. More

It's all about the individual A person-centred approach can make a huge difference when helping people with autism to develop their personal skills. More

Winning words 'Communication is a basic human right': How this man with nonverbal autism found his voice. More

Sleep first  A world first first study will help determine if improving sleep habits of children with autism will result in better concentration and improved behaviour. More

A fair byte Microsoft has said that its ongoing drive to hire autistic talent and spearhead inclusive design is driving creativity and innovation across the business - "We have to ask ourselves, are we trying to get people in the organisation who are successful at interviews or are we trying to get people in with the best talent?" More

Depressing news Nearly half of adults with autism will experience clinical depression in their lifetime, according to  new research. More

All change "Hearing that your child has autism, or any neurological disorder, is so unbelievably scary. Maybe you knew deep down. Or maybe you were oblivious. It honestly doesn’t matter because in an instant everything is different". More

What's the hold up? That was the question that a team from the University of Edinburgh asked in terms of the NHS provision for autism diagnosis in one area of Scotland. More

Pig in a poke How an earth could anyone suggest that watching the TV cartoon Peppa Pig might cause autism? Life stranger than fiction. More

Writing autism “Being diagnosed turned my life the ‘right way up’” PJ Hughes lives in Sheffield, England. PJ speaks and writes about his experiences of having Asperger Syndrome. Read the Autism Europe interview. More

Without care A lack of training for health professionals could be contributing to 1,200 avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability in England each year, research has found. More

Two minute wonder Can something as diverse and complex as autism be revealed by a two minute test? Researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School claim to have developed a two-minute questionnaire. More

Where's our story? The limited and skewed portrayal of autism in chldrens literature means it is often misrepresented rather than represented in fiction. For an autistic child or young person this can be extremely isolating. More

Female voices Spectrumly Speaking is the podcast dedicated to women on the autism spectrum, produced by Different Brains®. More

Speaking without words David James “DJ” Savarese has accomplished far more than the average 25 year old. Not only did he graduate  in 2017 with a double major in Anthropology and Creative Writing, but Savarese also co-produced Deej, which highlights the obstacles he faced as a non-speaking student with autism. More

Autism independence 'Autism and Enablement' is a new, practical guide to enablement and  shows how to help adults with autism achieve greater independence and become more self-sufficient. More

Growing skills Unique agriculture project 'Lettuce Work' is helping young people with autism develop socially and acquire great work skills. More

We know what you mean Harry When Harry Redknapp was visiting Portfield School in Christchurch, Dorset, and learnt how overwhelming a football match can be for a child with the condition, he asked what could be done to make the game more accessible. More

Autism is in Africa Many African children with autism are hidden away at home. Efforts to bring the condition into the open are only just beginning. More

French revolution  France has a long  history of being out of step with modern theories of autism. After lagging behind other countries for decades, France is working on a new national plan for autism. More

Hearing voices Three- to five-year-old children with autism and delayed language development appear to process voices differently than typically developing children, according to a new study. More

Seen Rain Man? "There are no typical autistic people, despite the savant stereotypes. My son is just himself: he’s me, with a coating of autism". More

Through Glass Once ridiculed as a failed innovation, Google Glass is emerging as an important tool to help with educational and behavioral needs of children with autism. More

Right at the museum Things are getting sensory at the Museum. Many museums are now offering early entry and sensory-friendly activities to those on the spectrum of any age. More

Our stories We must never stop listening to real experiences of autism. Here, four men and women speak about how autism touches their lives. More

Family complications Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism but as with virtually everything related to the spectrum the picture is a complicated one! More
...and while we are talking family links, just how genetic is atism? A lot as it turns out. More

Fit on the spectrum Take a look at this innovative fitness programme that aims to tackle fitness of young people with autism and other disabilities. More

Acceptance is key  New research that shows a lack of acceptance can significantly impact on the mental health of autistic adults. More

Help for parents "I have learned so much in my two decades of being a mother. My children have been my best teachers." More

Health equality please A lack of clear mental health support for people with Autism spectrum conditions is leaving vulnerable people at risk and costing lives, campaigners have warned. More

Sensory spectrum Differences in sensory sensitivity, processing and perception have always been part of our understanding of autism, but maybe it's a bigger part than we ever thought. More

Making friends making music "Nat’s now 28, and I have looked into so much that eventually I stopped looking. Nothing worked. I didn’t even know what “worked” meant. By the time Nat was a teen, all I wanted was to find something he liked to do. More

Fixing education figures Children's Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, said she was concerned some schools wanted autistic children removed to improve their results. More

The 'A' Word Anxiety exacerbates social communication problems in children with autism — and not the other way around, a new study suggests More

Sensory does it Hospitals are using a cart full of tricks to calm patients with ASD and allow them to get the care they need. More

Painting with the spectrum "My art is the easiest part of my life. Everything else is the hard part." Read this great interview with Rebecca Ann Reed, an artist with Aspergers. More

Game for it Brad Hennessey made one of the toughest decisions he'd ever had to make. He took the game he'd spent two years of his life on and he trashed it. He wanted to make something different. Something that mattered. He wanted to make a game that reflected his life experience as a young man living with Autism. More

Take a seat for autism A teenager with autism has found a unique way to help others “see the light” when it comes to autism awareness. Tory Ridgeway gave Windy Hill Elementary School in Owings—where he was once a student a special gift: a bright blue bench. But it’s not just any bench. It’s a buddy bench. More

Teachers help Two great resouces for teachers from TES: A podcast by Uta Frith and Gemma Corby tells us her best strategies for teaching students with autism More

A landscape for autism Was Alfred Wainwright the fell walker and author of intricate Lakeland guidebooks on the autism spectrum? More

A class for autism Has socio-economics got anything to do with prevalence of autism diagnoses? Turns out it probably has. More

What's in a name? 'Autistic person' or 'person with autism? Read this interesting article that looks at the pros and cons of these different ways of expressing that a person is on the autism spectrum? More

You've got a date When you get your 2018 diary, put a note on May 10th. We are pleased to anounce a conference on early years and the autism spectrum entitled, "Great Starts with Autism"
More
If you are a parent of a child with autism or a professional working in an ealry years setting, we need your help with a short survey

Think differently work differently Neurodiversity can be a huge advantage for companies, yet people on the spectrum have often been marginalised. Now some firms are specifically seeking them out. Is this a crucial turning point? More

No Label at the Table Take a seat at the bakery specializing in dairy-free, gluten-free food that only employs adults with autism. More

That's the reality Everyday situations can be stressful for those on the autism spectrum. Step into the shoes of 16-year-old Layla as she attends a birthday party. Hear her inner thoughts and experience how overwhelming an occasion like this can be. The Guardian has made use of Google Cardboard to help us step inside the world of autism. More

Wait too long Experts in the NHS cite several reasons for the long waiting times for diagnosis, including a lack of coordination between professionals throughout the assessment, as well as a lack of resources. More

Mind the Socio-economic Gap Children living in neighbourhoods where incomes are low and fewer adults have University degrees are less likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to kids from more affluent neighbourhoods. More

Bust those Myths! Five myths about autism we need to banish from teaching More

Love like that When I was a young adult and my dad become frustrated with my autism quirks, he would say, “You’ll never find a woman willing to accept your rigid routines.” Kristen, by her unconditional love, has proven him wrong. More

How sensory is autism? There is a growing body of evidence from the classroom, from individuals and from research that the sensory sensitivity, processing and perceptual difficulties in autism are core to the condition. More

Balancing act Portrayals of autism in the media fluctuate between really helping to raise awareness and confirming stereotypes. It's a bit of a tight-rope walk. More

Out of sadness A mother and her seven children trying to come to terms with their father's suicide have had their story turned into a Netflix documentary. Vikie Shanks' six children who were ageed 6 - 16 at the time are all on the autism spectrum. More

Spectrum of colour  Art was Tim Sharp’s way of communicating as a child; now it’s inspiration for a joyful 90 minutes of puppetry, live music, animation and dad jokes. More

Early years If you work in an early years setting we need your input. Complete our survey

Empathy or not It's long been thought that caontagious yawning is a sign that people are in sync with eachothers feelings and sensations. New research suggests it might have more to do with perceptual sensitivity. More

Genes and gender Now new research led by scientists at Harvard Medical School has for the first time successfully quantified the likelihood that a family who has one child with autism would have another one with the same condition based on the siblings' gender. More

Waiting too long The mother of a “beautiful, bright, and witty” girl from Norwich is hoping her five-year fight to secure an autism diagnosis for her daughter may soon come to an end. More

Sister support “Please don’t ask me how I am or how my day has been,” the sign said. “I really struggle with such vague and open questions.” Read the fascinating account of two sisters with autism upfront and central to their relationship. More

Sensory, structured and safe How do we create a school environment in which children on the autism spectrum can flourish! More

Primary importance “GPs and other primary care staff have a key role in ensuring that patients on the autism spectrum (and any carers) have equitable access to health care” Research Autism. Now GPs have a ‘fit for purpose’ learning programme that delivers. More

Team for change Ever wondered why good intentions and well-trained staff don’t always achieve the great outcomes we want for service users with autism? More

Revisiting regression In our modern understanding of autism should we take another look at the idea of regression in some youngsters with autism? More

Me myself 'I'm An Autistic Adult—Here's What I Want You To Know' Three women share how they learned to live (and thrive) with autism. More

Self regulated and successful "It felt like it was time for me to try new things, to meet new people and try to adjust to life,” Zachary Zupko has certainly done that and way more. More

Work not working The biggest challenge for people with autism in the 21st Century is getting into employment. More

It’s as easy as AAC Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is the term used to describe methods of communication that can add-on to or replace speech helping kids and adults with autism find a voice. More

Channeling autism A man is aiming to be the first autistic person ever to complete a solo swim of the English Channel. More

Focussing on futures There is no single development trajectory for youngsters with autism so trying to predict what the future will look like and what future needs will be is nigh on impossible. More

Life of quality Researchers are finally turning their attention to autistic adults and trying to figure out factors that affect their quality of life. More

Keep getting up Naoki Higashida is the non-verbal author of bestseller The Reason I Jump. In Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 he explains his behaviours and challenges others’ perceptions. More

Disabled or not Saffron is nine. When she received her diagnosis, her mother Sam did not think what the doctors described sounded like a disability. While Saffron does encounter the difficulties associated with autism, her family encourage her to regard herself simply as not neurotypical, rather than having a disability. More

Thinking different What does the research show regarding cognitive styles of people with high-functioning autism/Asperger syndrome? More

Predicting autism A machine-learning algorithm has analysed brain scans of 6-month-old children and predicted with near-certainty whether they will show signs of autism when they reach the age of 2 More

Take pride A network of school-based groups has been set up by a handful of young adults with autism who wanted to give other kids what they had mostly missed out on over their school years: social connections, self-confidence, acceptance and pride in their autistic condition More

Try Rugby Leo Gradwell Spencer, 11, was bullied at school and struggled with self-confidence until he attended a rugby training camp More