AUTISM NEWSLETTER MAY 2022 Comment

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