AUTISM NEWSLETTER JUNE 2025 COMMENT

Work solutions To help autistic talent thrive at work, employers must build systems that actively recognise and reward difference. More

Autism in the middle For Rugby referee Aimee Barrat, being herself hasn’t always been easy. “For most of my life, I felt a little different,” she says. “I found social interactions unnatural. I could be quite shy and awkward. But on a rugby field, I felt comfortable.” More

What we talk about A study conducted by the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento used artificial AI models to analyse the topics discussed in online autism forums. More

Ageing and autism Rebecca Floyd argues that we need a deeper appreciation of how autism affects the experience of older people in our care system. ‘We need to have a greater awareness of autism in older people’s services’. More

Building better Goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel has shared her Autism diagnosis publicly, saying building LEGO helped her adjust. She has even formed an unofficial LEGO club with teammates and friends Jess Simpson, Leah Galton and Rachel Williams. More

Trauma informed An autistic woman who was repeatedly detained in secure hospitals as a teenager has said proposed changes to a mental health law do not go far enough. Lucy Bowerman, from Witney, Oxfordshire, said being sectioned at 12 years old, before being diagnosed with autism, left her mentally “scarred". More

Girls and boys A recent large scale study which looked for differences in how autism presented in young children found that there was no difference between autistic characteristics in girls and boys. More

Show restraint Guidance on reducing restrictive practices in childcare, education, health and social care settings. Watch this video from the Welsh Government which aims to raise awareness of the eight types of restraint and their impact. More

Number challenge Special-school leaders have questioned a government claim that too many specialist places have been created for pupils who could be in mainstream schools. More
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Care in custody A police custody unit is being adapted to reduce stress for neurodiverse people. Some cells and the outdoor area of Compass House in Quedgeley, Gloucester, will be altered to better suit the sensory needs of some detainees. More