Moving story Children on the autism spectrum may not always process bodily movements easily - they may find it difficult to 'see' body language.  More

On the ball Swindon Town FC have been giving out sensory packs which have been designed to improve the matchday experience for young autistic people. More 

Ice breaker An 11-year-old girl, who is autistic and has ADHD, has said she struggled to express herself until she discovered ice skating. Teddy Weston is a British and World champion in inclusive ice skating and is one of the first to represent NI. More

Turning teacher Jesse Cross (17) has a knack for coding, but it's not just a past-time or a hobby, it's a profession. More

Young voice heard A 12-year-old primary school student from Cashel, Co Tipperary, met with the Taoiseach on Thursday to urge the government to act urgently on the lack of supports for autistic children in Ireland. More

Access unequal Most autistic children in the Netherlands have used some sort of treatment or therapy according to a new study. But factors unrelated to their autism often decide who gets what help. More

Flying fear For Becca, being autistic means she worries about things that neurotypical people never give a second thought to - “Where are the gates in the airport? How do I get around the airport? What food is at the airport? I get sensory issues with take-off and landing but the unknown is a much bigger issue.” More 

Improve records Schools must collect isolations data the DfE has said this month. Behaviour guidance on the controversial use of so-called ‘isolation booths’ calls on schools to keep records of ‘removals’. More 

Parental advice The BBC has a wealth of parents experiences, autism tips and advice on it’s website. More

Friendly games Barrington Campbell received an autism diagnosis at 30 years old. He said he had struggles making friends while growing up and felt isolated. Five years later he's created Kagai Games, designed to provide tabletop games and events for people with social anxiety. More

Good to read A library boss has been awarded a British Empire Medal for making libraries more autism friendly. Sorrelle Clements is the Service Development Manager for Coventry Libraries and said "we're not just about books”. More

Makes sense Altnagelvin Hospital's new ED sensory room is an 'oasis of calm' for those with learning disabilities. More

Understanding autism The vast majority of school staff and leaders believe that autistic pupils’ education is being affected by a lack of teacher training in how to support them, a Tes poll suggests. More

Exercise boost  Regular exercise over several months can reduce anxiety in autistic children, a study has shown. Researchers confirmed the positive effect on autistic children who underwent a 16-week exercise programme at school. More

Health demands David Crisp (trainer, writer, advocate, blogger) suggests it's time to move forward for health equality for autistic individuals. More

A quiet space Many autistic people experience high levels of anxiety, which can become overwhelming and lead to what is often described as a “meltdown". Inspired by her autistic son
Bristol student, Angharad created Joey Pods with input from Bristol's autistic community as a response to the anxiety attacks her son, Joey, experiences. More

Great response The Life Science Centre in Newcastle has won an international award for its work with autistic communities. It worked for three years to increase staff's understanding of autism and neurodiversity and to make the building more accessible and welcoming. The centre is the first recipient of a Mariano Gago Responsible and Responsive Award, created to reflect the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. More

More in the Media Autistic adults have become increasingly visible in media, books, television, and more in the past decade, but challenges with representation persist. New research from UC Santa Cruz shows incremental improvements in the representation of autistic adults in film, television, books, media coverage, and advocacy organisation websites. More

Christine McGuinness is to front a BBC documentary about autism in women and girls after discovering her own ‘positive’ diagnosis. More

Learning about autism It's now the law! Measures to ensure all NHS staff receive training in learning disabilities and autism now have the full force of the law behind them. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Programme has received Royal ascent. It has now passed into law as part of the new Health and Care Act 2022. More 

Feeling different Carrie Kearns always knew she was different. From personal friendships to colleagues, the mum-of-two struggled to fit in throughout her life and considered herself a loner.
But that all changed earlier this year when she received a life-changing diagnosis of autism. More

Getting physical Why do autistic pupils engages less with PE at school? Durham University are doing new research in to the barriers that autistic young people can face when trying to access PE at school. More 

Health inside Children with autism spectrum disorder tend to experience gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation and stomach pain, at a higher rate than their neurotypical peers. The University of Missouri is trying to find out why. More 

Law change ‘Antiquated’ mental health laws in England and Wales are set for overhaul.
A Mental Health Bill aims to limit detentions of autistic people and those with learning disabilities. More 

Women waiting Research by Swansea University has found it takes on average six years longer to diagnose autism in women and girls than in males. Charities in Wales are calling for greater investment into services to help better understand autism in females and speed up a diagnosis. More

Strength on the spectrum Watch the World's strongest man, Tom Stoltman (who is autistic), pull a 5000 pound truck in this amazing video. More

Beating Burnout “If you knew me when I was younger, you would be really surprised to see me today. My autism went undiagnosed until I was in my 30s, so no one understood my struggles, including me”. More

Evidence problem Decisions about therapies and approaches to autism, including early intervention should be informed by research data. This raises a bit of a problem for educators and clinicians because there is a dearth of data when it comes to how to respond effectively to autism. More

Time to tell When Is there a best time to tell children they have the developmental disorder? New research suggests that younger is better. More

App for anxiety We have been following the Brain in Hand story since the beginning and this is great news. Brain in Hand has been given nearly £400,000 as part of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare award, which is funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement. More 

Crisis coping ‘How COVID hit our family - and how we navigated this period’. A parent’s account of the journey through the pandemic with her autistic son. More

Words from autistic women “Countless misconceptions about autism exist, particularly traits and experiences of autistic women. Motivated to raise understanding and acceptance of our experiences I decided to write an article.” More 

What's in a word? The autistic community hopes that a new terminology guide will help people use appropriate language when talking about autism. More

More Makaton The grandmother of a boy with autism who uses the language system Makaton to communicate with his family has called for it to be taught in more schools in Wales. More 

Care worsens The CQC's 2020 report said people with learning disabilities or autism were receiving "undignified and inhumane care"; 18 months on it says little progress has been made. More
 
Mind and body A family hopes to start a new charity to give young people with autism or learning disabilities the chance to take up martial arts. More
 
Meeting needs Recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control show childhood autism rates are at their highest level since the CDC began tracking data in 2000. About 2.3% of U.S. children. What are the priorities for support? More
 
Help in a box “Emergencies can be stressful for anyone. Then, when you add in a sensory processing disorder, they already don’t see and experience things in the same way we do,” A US firefighter has developed a sensory tool kit to help fire crews meet the needs of youngsters on the spectrum. More
 
Sibling support Having a younger brother with autism brings challenges. How can parents help? More

Right to work  An increasing number of companies are integrating neurodiverse individuals into the workplace as they recognize their growing number and the unique skills they bring to a variety of jobs. More
 
Food for thought A mum who has previously struggled to eat out with her autistic son has praised a restaurant for "going above and beyond" to help him. More
 
Autistic and unstoppable Sam Holness is an autistic endurance athlete. He's completed triathlons, an event consisting of swimming, cycling and running. He’s run numerous full 26-mile marathons and half marathons and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. More
 
Without the  mask Social psychologist Devon Price explains that masking is any attempt or strategy "to hide your disability." Price's new book, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, explores masking, and how to "unmask" and live more freely.
 
Care for carers Carers are key members of the team around the person they support, but the role can significantly impact their life, health and wellbeing. Good quality, consistent support is vital to enable them to continue their caring role. More
 
Where are the women? Despite recent breakthroughs in research, young women with autism are still commonly overlooked by parents, educators and medical providers. More
 
Learning moment After learning she was autistic at 38, writer and podcaster Tara McMullin began reassessing what she needed to thrive at her job. More
 
Legally speaking Autism is not a mental health issue – David Crisp argues for a rethink on healthcare and mental health legislation. More

Minecraft safety Famallama is a family friendly whitelisted server for the neurodiverse, (those with Autism, ADHD, and Special Educational needs). More


















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Big bill New legislation in Northern Ireland will introduce the creation of an autism information service and a cross-departmental autism training strategy. More

Help for hair A hair salon in Sheffield has created a specialised room to help autistic children get their hair cut in a less challenging environment. More

Cut it out Neurotypical nervous systems, wired for complex social lives, allow for effective sensory gating (automatically filtering out stimuli deemed unimportant - background noise). Autistic individuals have a harder time doing this. More

Kit full of understanding The North East Autism Society (NEAS) created the easy-to-follow Teacher’s Toolkit ahead of Autism Acceptance Week, which runs from March 28th until April 3rd.
The kit is packed full of educational videos, information about autism and neurodiversity, lesson plans and activity ideas designed to teach children and young people about difference. More

Autistic and Expecting Check out this unique and practical book on managing autistic pregnancy, childbirth and the post-natal period for autistic parents and for the health and social care practitioners who may support them. More

Explaining the spectrum “It is so important for my students to see that people with Asperger’s, autism or other communication issues can be successful and live fulfilling lives. Nothing explains this better than hearing it from them directly.” More

​Pathway to better lives Some of the world’s leading experts on autism have published a redesigned care pathway for autistic children and their families based on early detection and family involvement. More

Police aware Phillip Millichap, a police community support officer (PCSO) with autism is championing neurodiversity throughout his force. More

Positive pastures Farming can change the lives of young autistic people. A group of autistic young farm workers say the job has saved them from a potential life of isolation and boredom. More

​Deep look at sleep Ashura Buckley has been working to decode the meaning of brain activity that occurs during sleep. In November, she launched a project to assess the genetics, sleep and behavior of neurotypical children and those who have been flagged for, diagnosed with or have an older sibling with a neurodevelopmental condition, such as autism. More

Late diagnosis When it came to things like school and friendships outside of her family, Dani always felt something wasn't quite right. "There are kids running around and they all seem to be interacting and playing with each other, and I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to insert myself into that and then how to continue in whatever it is that they are doing." More
 
No place called home Hundreds of Scots with learning disabilities are being forced to live far away from their families or are stuck in hospital for months or even years, according to a report by a charity. More

Beating bullying Rosie King, autistic writer and television presenter, told Hampstead primary pupils she would not have suffered so much had she been a student at their school. More

Game on An autistic Portsmouth man has realised his life-long dream by setting up a new ‘retro’ game centre open to all. More

Journey of 1 Autistic author Erin Beal has created a children’s book to instil confidence and teach acceptance. More
 
Future of learning A new project centre in Ireland will support autistic people from pre-school age right up to adulthood. More

Spectrum of sound A DJ with autism is inspiring others "I just love the fact that I've created something that they're dancing to," he says. "It's such a great feeling." More
 
What a year What were best moments for the autism community in 2021, and what does 2022 have in store? Listen to Spectrumly Speaking, the podcast dedicated to women on the autism spectrum. More
 
Knock off the noise A retired teacher looks back on a career full of autistic learning. More
 
Mixing it up Jordan Scully is autistic and a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. “He is so dedicated. We literally have to kick him out of the gym every night. He’s here morning, noon, and night. He is brilliant.” More 

The feeling of autism Bradon Peterson’s blog examines the sensory side of autism, ‘I understood why my three year-old self grabbed a pair of teacups to use as ear defenders at the reception of my parents’ friends’ wedding’. More
 
Sensory supplies The Pocket OT has some great resources for sensory differences and difficulties. More 
 
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On board Can video games and balance boards address movement and coordination difficulties in autism? More

Back to the future Take a look back at the research headlines from 2021 More 

Searching for support "It can be extremely challenging when Jack has a meltdown and it limits what we can do as a family and the places we can go because a lot of places aren't equipped for children with autism. It has left us feeling frustrated and still lost." More

Schools out What effect have the covid school closures in 2020/21 had on autistic learners? More

World’s Strongest Man “I always wanted to be successful for the people that have additional needs. I’ve done a lot of talks on it and I want everyone to know that, just because we’ve got a label on our heads, it doesn’t mean that you are different from anyone else, we’ve just got that additional hurdle we have to get over.” More

Motor missing Clinicians and scientists have described motor skill differences since the earliest conceptualizations of autism, yet these differences are not always considered as core to the diagnosis. More

Art of autism An artist famed for creating microscopic sculptures said his autism has inspired his success. Willard Wigan MBE, 64, was diagnosed when he was 50, but believes his mother knew he struggled at school and encouraged him to create his tiny works of art. More

Autism Works People with autism are being left behind today, with only 16 per cent in full-time employment. This inspiring book addresses the lack of understanding of the wonderful contributions people across the autism spectrum can make to the workplace. More

Same difference “In the viral video of an autistic man at his brother’s wedding, I saw my sister and me.” More

Secure silence The UK government has kept an autistic man in a secure hospital for half his life, and used the courts to silence his parents. More

Sleep study At the age of eight, Chase Mazurek has rarely had a good night's sleep. He has autism and ADHD and has trouble falling asleep, wakes in the night and gets up about 4.45am. His mother, Melanie, says it's been exhausting and has taken a toll on relationships and family life. More
 
Including us Much more must be done to make workplaces more inclusive for autistic people, according to Edinburgh-based Auticon, after it found that one in ten workers with the condition does not feel able to reveal their diagnosis at work. More
 
Getting a feeling For some of our children understanding emotions is particularly hard.  They may have communication challenges or struggle to read their own internal and physical signals.  Some of our children have high anxiety and therefore have a huge challenge when it comes to regulating their emotions. More
 
It’s about me ‘People said I was weak, lazy and fussy. I’m not – but I am autistic’. The late diagnosis of Melanie Sykes and Christine McGuinness came as no surprise to those who, like Sara Gibbs, have trodden the same path. More
 
Safe online Online dating can be an avenue for autistic people to meet new friends and potential romantic partners, but it brings with it some pretty serious dangers. People who you meet via online dating sites may not always be who they seem. More
 
Zayne’s world “At the beginning, life was really stressful and confusing, mixed with long waiting lists and no answers. We just wanted to be able to help Zayne the best we possibly could, but with very little knowledge and understanding of what he needed, it proved almost impossible to know what to do for the best.” More
 
Support for signing SignTown is an interactive web game built to help people to learn about sign language and Deaf culture. It uses machine learning to detect the user's ability to perform signs learned from the game. More
 
New numbers Autism rates are increasing yet again, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which finds for the first time that more than 2% of American children have the developmental disability. More
 
Giving voice Sean Porter made an app for non-verbal children and those with autism like his brother to help them communicate. More
 
It shouldn’t happen to a vet Mental health researchers at the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science are calling for participants for a study on how workplace stressors affect staff who live with autism. More
 
Capturing the spectrum Hoping to challenge misconceptions among the neurotypical, photographer Mary Berridge has spent more than five years capturing photographs of young people with autism. More
 
Right to write Nick McAllister found his words after a tough time looking for employment as an autistic writer. More
 
From science to support Working as a speech-language pathologist back in the early 2000s, Andrew Whitehouse saw one family after another struggling to get good care for their autistic children, some of them pursuing pricey, unproven therapies. More

Try this There have been plenty of newcomers welcomed to the sport of rugby at the Palace Grounds in Armagh over the past five weeks. This comes after local autism support group, More Than Words, teamed up with Rugby Cubz NI, who provide modified rugby activities for children with autism and additional needs. More

Gut news A collaborative Australian study has challenged the increasingly popular theory that gut health drives autism and rejected the use of fad diets and so-called therapies such as faecal transplants. More

Seeking acceptance People on the autism spectrum often face discrimination and other challenges in everyday life. In Bulgaria, activists are working to raise awareness and reduce stigma. More
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Pandemic problems For adults and children on the autism spectrum, getting a COVID-19 vaccine is easier said than done. More

Autistic images When photographer Mary Berridge’s son was diagnosed with Asperger’s, she began to see his world in a new light. She set out to capture a series of everyday – and exceptional – stories, one image at a time. More

That’s our business  In this podcast Toni Boucher (author and autistic self-advocate) describes her “AUntrepreneur” programme which helps young adults launch their own businesses. More

Sensory search Since sensory differences became part of the diagnostic criteria for autism in 2013, an increasing number of autism researchers have been drawn to the thalamus. What is it and what does it have to do with autism? More

Meeting Melanie “There’s a sense of relief about it and a sense of mourning. Not because I don’t want to be who I am, it’s that I wish I’d known sooner so I could have understood exactly why things were rolling the way they were rolling". More

Access to work An autistic woman said her experience of work was traumatising and more consideration was needed for neurodiverse employees. More

Not a crime Listen to Tom Oliver’s TED Talk on why autistic people are caught up in the justice system. More
 
Recruitment fair? There’s no doubt, that for large employers, high volume recruiting is a useful tool but it’s also true that one size doesn’t fit all, and nowhere is that more painfully obvious than with job applicants with conditions such as autism, ADHD or Tourette’s Syndrome. More
 
Media mess up Articles on TV and in the print media can be damaging! Autism can’t be prevented, nor can it be cured. More
 
Yes to amazing Sesame Workshop has announced its expansion of the ‘Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children’ initiative with new resources More
 
Sensory salad “As a child my mum thought I was deaf and blind”. Paul Isaacs explains some of sensory effects of his autism. More
 
You get me? New research suggests that children with autism struggle with the feelings of others because they might not use context to identify underlying emotions. More
 
Seeing like a child “My toddler loves her autistic sister — and has helped me challenge my own unconscious prejudices.” More
 
Silver screen spectrum Looking WITH autism Sara Wheeler discusses autism in the movies. More
 
Empathy wins A nurse who created a Covid-19 vaccine clinic for people with learning disabilities and autism has received national recognition. Rebecca Crossley devised the sensory-friendly space for patients who may find syringes, PPE and a busy, noisy clinic daunting. More
 
Think autism “When I was twelve years old, I suddenly learned to think, all at once, on a single day. Before that day almost no one would have thought that I would ever understand the world around me”. Dan Bergmann on his autism, and a breakthrough lesson. More
 
Autistic access Since the pandemic, more of us than ever are seeking out green spaces. What can National Parks do to make the beauty of nature enjoyable and safe? More