AUTISM NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2020 COMMENT

Damaging delays New research has shown that more than 128,000 children and their families risk being ‘forgotten’ by the system as lockdown causes delays in autism diagnosis.​ More

Sound and sensitivity A tiny fish is helping scientists understand how the human brain processes sound, while also giving insight to autism. More

Cash crisis Almost 90% of English councils overspent on their budgets for teaching children with special needs last year, and the underfunding is set to continue into 2021. More

Finding out "I’m Autistic. I Didn’t Know Until I Was 27. Autism spectrum disorder is inseparable from who I am. I wish only that it hadn’t taken so long to find out." More

Anorexia and autism linked? In 1983, psychologist Christopher Gillberg posed a provocative question to the readers of the British Journal of Psychiatry: Could autism and anorexia nervosa share underlying causes?​ More

Tech can help "When my son’s speech and language delay was first highlighted, in 2016, there was a negative stigma attached to screen time with children, both for neurotypical and neurodivergent kids. It took a global lockdown to dislodge that viewpoint, and I'm glad that it did". More

Failing health Mental health services need to develop greater sensitivity to the mental health risks in autism. Right now they are failing adolescents and young adults with autism ​. More

Small talk is a big deal Having a casual conversation can be the most stressful part of some people's day. Sheree Somers knows what this feels like and she has some advice for us all to make things better.​ More

See strengths ”Having autism doesn’t mean I don’t have the same goals as you. It means that I am not able to talk and my body doesn’t behave like I want it to.” More