AUTISM NEWSLETTER JUNE 2022 COMMENT

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