AUTISM NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2026 COMMENT

PMLD Questions Several Universities and charities have come together to survey families, specifically looking at the life and well-being of people with profound learning and multiple disability (PMLD), and how we can best support them in the future. More

Sounds good A trumpet player says an accessible orchestra has helped him communicate through a new language and feel that he belongs to a "wonderful community”. More

Sensory discovery The idea that autism (ASD) and ADHD might occur alongside disorders of the body’s connective tissue has circulated among clinicians and researchers for years. New research suggests that people with both ASD and ADHD, have a 438% higher likelihood of a heritable structural connective tissue disorder. More

Quiet monsters 'Dawnosaurs' is a free event for neurodivergent children, including those with autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, OCD and other sensory processing difficulties. Enjoy the Natural History Museum, free from the hustle and bustle of the general public, led by neurodivergent-aware facilitators. More

Restraint concerns Students in Ireland with special educational needs were restrained 850 times in schools since September 2025. Inclusion Ireland CEO Derval McDonagh has said, "Serious questions remain unanswered. We have no way of knowing the level of harm children are continuing to experience.” More

Cupboard compensation A worker at a luxury five-star hotel has been awarded more than £200,000 after she was made to handle the company’s payroll from inside a cupboard. Roberta Ghiotto, who has ADHD, was told to complete a three-day payroll task "under pressure" without any prior training. She was told to do the work from inside a cupboard after finding it difficult to concentrate in the busy office. More

Emergency communication A frightened person may communicate differently than they do at home, school, or another familiar environment. Their AAC device may be out of reach. A first responder may ask several questions quickly and mistake the absence of spoken answers for the absence of understanding. Noise, flashing lights, physical contact, unfamiliar people, and fear can make communication even harder. For that reason, a safety plan should also be a communication plan. More

Seeing all Black women and girls on the spectrum have long been under-diagnosed and overlooked. A diagnosis arrives late for many of them — or not at all. More

Classroom advice It’s the first day of school.  There is excitement in the air but there are also a lot of nerves! If the first day of school can be nerve wracking for any parent and for any “neurotypical” student,  imagine for the parent and child with ASD or in reality a child with any kind of “different brain”! More

Big in Japan Though autistic people have appeared in Western films such as the pioneering “Rain Man” (1988) and reality TV series like the Netflix hit “Love on the Spectrum,” they are seldom seen on the big screen in Japan. A new film, ‘Lives at Right Angles’ is set to change that. More

Processing problem Researchers have developed an instruction-free video game to measure how autistic adolescents process sensory information. The study found autistic players struggled with "noisy evidence integration"—effectively combining incoming sensory cues. More