AUTISM NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2024 COMMENT

Help app hand A new free app has been launched by autism research charity Autistica to offer helpful tips to autistic people, their families and professionals who work with autistic people. More

Diagnostic delay Adults awaiting an autism diagnosis may have to wait up to 18 years before being assessed. The Oxfordshire Adult Autism Diagnostic and Support Service (OAADSS) stopped taking on new patients at the end of November due to the the size of its current waiting list. More

Giving voice Listen to Aaron Padley’s Christmas single ‘All I Am’ - out now! All proceeds of the song will go to The National Autistic Society. More

Facts or fictions Robert F Kennedy Jr has been nominated by Donald Trump  to be the next US health secretary, and both men have a lot to say about autism and vaccines. Time for a fact check… More

Research error Autism research should focus less on discovering the condition’s causes and more on potential policies and resources that could support autistic people to lead healthy, fulfilling lives, says Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Ari Ne’eman. More

Eyes have it Children with autism may focus on faces differently than other children, especially in the early stages of visual processing. More

Beating burn out The parents of a 16-year-old boy said "autism burnout" has left him unable to attend school for three years. Alistair is being home schooled by his mother Maggie at High Hurstwood near Uckfield, East Sussex. His father Jarvis has called for schools to provide safe spaces for children to take time out when they are under stress. More

Healthy minds A new Royal College of Psychiatrists resource looks at autism and mental health. It looks at the kind of care autistic people with mental health problems are entitled to. More

New life with autism A sapling from the felled Sycamore Gap tree will be planted on a farm which will be staffed by autistic people. John Phillipson, the head of the charity North East Autism Society which runs the farm, said it was a "real honour" to be awarded one of the tree's 49 saplings. More
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War child It’s hard to imagine the impact of war on an autistic child. Mohammed is one of many children with disabilities who were forced to flee their houses due to the conflict in Lebanon. More

Football first 'Autistic teenagers are being turned away from football teams - it isn't as inclusive as it should be’. Autistic FC, a football team comprised of autistic teenagers from Brentwood, Essex, has made history as the first neurodivergent youth team to participate in mainstream league football. More