AUTISM NEWSLETTER SEPT 2019 COMMENT

Tough to talk about? Listen to Amy Gravino, autism advocate, on what parents can say about sex and relationships to autistic youngsters. More

B is for bullied A study has found autistic children are more likely to be victims of bullying. Researchers call for more resources to help parents deal with bullying behaviours in home and school. More

Rude! "A recent altercation I had with a flight attendant exemplified just how little most people understand about neurological diversity", Laura McKenna (Mum to Ian who has Aspergers). More

Touching The inability to tolerate light touch is a telltale feature of autism. What causes it? More

Design for life How can autism-friendly architecture change autistic children’s lives? How do we design/change schools for children with autism. More

Sad situation Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression over the course of their lives as their neurotypical peers. Yet researchers know little about why, or how best to help. More

A big question Researchers are taking a multi-pronged approach to understanding a great mystery of autism: Why are four times more boys diagnosed with the condition than girls? The lack of information about autism in girls means many are never diagnosed and miss out on support. More

Right to work (without discrimination) A Wales Trade Union Congress survey showed only 16% of autistic adults were in full-time paid work. The organisation also said it was dealing with cases where staff were not getting reasonable adaptations in the workplace, required under the Equality Act. More

Teachers must train Parents of autistic children have protested at Stormont over the lack of mandatory training on autism for teachers in Northern Ireland. More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for improvements to be made in schools. More