How do autistic people experience maternity care? Dr Aimee Grant, Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Swansea University, tells us how her experience of autism and maternity care inspired her to research the topic. More

Social isolation Michelle Myers was diagnosed with autism at 41 and has spent her whole life masking who she really is. She has experienced first-hand the effects of stigmatisation, social isolation, and limited opportunities due to a lack of understanding surrounding autism. More

National crisis The National Autistic Society was formed in 1962 and opened the World’s first specialist school for autistic children in 1964. Recently, though the charity has felt the brunt of Government cuts in funding for care, with several services forced to close. More 

Hubs help The NHS has invested £200,000 for autism hubs to run in Derbyshire. In the hubs, charities and voluntary organisations will support children and young people - and their families and carers - with topics such as benefits, housing, employment, and clinical services. More

Teaching skills Breaking tasks down into their component parts and simplifying instructions will go a long way to helping autistic children master new skills. More

Augmenting lives Communication is key and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can really help. AAC covers a range of strategies and tools which help children and adults communicate. These may be simple letter or picture boards, or very sophisticated computer-based systems. More 

Thinking differently Autism self-advocate Travis Misurell shares how the Future Is Now Coalition is working to make the US democratic process more accessible. More

‘Running is the ultimate stim' Insights from autistic ultra-runner, Ishmael Burdeau, into how the sport of ultra-running can be a place for autistic athletes to grow and prosper. More

Missing school A teenager with autism says going to school can feel "like hell" due to lack of help for additional learning needs. Leonie, 15, from Merthyr Tydfil, would beg not to attend school before she got tailored support. More

Help app An autistic boy and his mother are appealing for help with developing an app to support his needs. Young innovator James Malthouse, ten, from Tavistock, is asking for help with raising money through his Crowdfunder campaign. More

ABA Ban Parents of children with autism in the Netherlands are calling on the government to ban a controversial treatment known as ABA, which some have compared to gay conversion therapy. More

Stop! Think… autism? “My autistic behaviour is constantly met by accusation and inconsiderate responses. I believe this is frequently for two reasons:
1. They don’t stop and think, could there be another explanation for this ‘odd’ behaviour?
2. Even if they realise I am autistic, they don’t know how to support me”. More

Autism freed me Getting diagnosed with autism and ADHD was “the best thing that ever happened” to Ellie Middleton. More

Hear me The “voice” of a 3-year-old teaches us about the importance of early detection, parenting support and the crucial role played by professionals and an open-minded society.  More

Getting there The train operator behind the country's busiest rail franchise has launched a guide to help people with autism travel with ease. More

Left in limbo The NHS autism service ‘crisis’ will leave tens of thousands of patients without diagnosis with 190,000 patients waiting for autism diagnosis by 2024 with ‘devastating’ consequences. More

Life partner A digital innovation that provides autistic adults with 24/7 support and practical tools to manage the challenges of everyday life has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety levels. More

 of injusti
Rebel on the spectrum ‘People like me have a very aggravated sense of injustice’ More

Strategic intent England has a new autism strategy. Five things you need to know about the Government’s new autism strategy for England​. More

Tackling tough Covid, fostering, autism and football – midfielder Shaun Byrne opens up on difficult 10 days with the virus. More

​Ways to work A foundation is helping people on the autistic spectrum gain qualifications and jobs in the IT sector as software testers. More

Finding each other Writer Joanne Limburg diagnosed with autism at 42 reflects on motherhood. More

Hidden histories Over the past two decades, our cultural understanding of autism and what it means to be autistic has grown - though we have a long way to go. But there are entire generations of people who grew up when the popular conception of autism was a far cry from how it’s now understood. More

Thinking of others Cameron McIntosh has worked for weeks by himself to improve Dundonald — cleaning up litter, broken glass and dog poo. More

Holiday reading: The Passionate Mind In entirely accessible terms, Wendy Lawson lays out her groundbreaking theory of Single Attention and Associated Cognition in Autism (SAACA), an approach that explains autism in terms of the unique learning style of individuals on the autism spectrum. More

Reel life A Cumbrian filmmaker is preparing to show off a new film inspired by her experiences with neurodivergency. Sophie Broadgate asked women and non-binary people with autism to contribute to the film where their experiences will be shared and explored. More


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 A Jump in understanding David Mitchell on how translating The Reason I Jump for his non-verbal autistic son was a lifesaver and his excitement at seeing the new Matrix film he co-wrote. More

Grappling with autism Shane and Isham, two autistic wrestlers thrive on the mat. “The most important thing is it’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle for me. Wrestling is hard. It’s not easy but I love it.” More

Research gap Autism research funding has risen but still falls short of goals set by the US Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s (IACC). More

Recognising strengths Autism should be defined as much by the unusual pattern of abilities and strengths as the difficulties that go with the condition. More

Travel training Not all adults with autism will have the ability to travel independently. Those who can travel independently may not have the ability to drive on their own. But for those who are capable of walking, using public transportation, or driving, travel training can lead to greater self-confidence, flexibility, and independence. More

Home free A mum who has been fighting to have her son with autism released from hospital after 15 years has revealed he should move into his own home later this year. More

Sounds, smiles and siblings Babies with autistic older siblings pay close attention to adults’ mouths during speech, but they don’t reap the language-learning benefits associated with it, according to new unpublished research. By contrast, the more that children without autistic siblings watch speakers’ mouths as babies, the better they tend to understand spoken language as toddlers. More

More work needed  Robert Ward explains how he struggled through seven years of mainstream education and a lack of understanding in the workplace before finally finding a role where his unique skills were appreciated and valued. More

Autism friendly housing A new Lewisham housing scheme is helping young adults with autism live independently, minimising stress and creating a calm environment through design. More


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At a difficult age Researchers are just beginning to learn what happens in the brains of autistic children during adolescence to explain their unique social, cognitive and emotional challenges More

Financial fight "You're literally having to fight people to get what you know your child is actually legally entitled to," Anna Geldard spent £20,000 fighting for the Education, Health and Social Care Plan (EHCP) her child is entitled to. More

Super supporters Volunteers and medics have been praised for the way they helped a woman with learning difficulties get her first vaccination jab. Lucie Willis has autism and epilepsy and her parents Helen and Mark were apprehensive about how she would cope with going to York's vaccination centre More

More autism Autism is more common in children in England than previously thought –  a study at University of Cambridge also found that prevalence numbers varied by ethnicity and levels of deprivation More

Video sharing Bristol group Autism Independence has launched a series of multi-language short films to dispel myths about autism in the Somali community, "We hope that our films, particularly the version in the Somali language, can reach many more families and reassure parents." More

Sensory shopping "As an autistic, I always need to take my disability into account when I make consumer choices. Something a neurotypical person may not even notice—a beep, a buzz, a scratchy tag—can overwhelm my senses". More

Sounds good Many children with autism struggle to find the words to express how they feel. But when it comes to music, it’s an entirely different situation. How can teachers incorporate music in everyday lessons? More

Positive pathways What do we know about encouraging employment and thereby fostering independence among autistic young adults? A team in Cambridge, MA think they have a few answers More

Help in mind 2020 hasn’t been an easy year for teens. Covid-19, exam cancellations and school closures have made it the most disrupted school year in 75 years. The folks at myTutor have some ideas about how parents can equip their teens with tactics and tips to cope with whatever life throws at them. More

Ideas please Parenting any child is challenging, but the joys and feelings that come with parenting a child with special needs are unique. Wondermoms is a great source of advice and ideas. More


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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

Research needs you University of York researchers need your help with a project looking at experiences of bullying in childhood in autistic adults. More
... why not explore the topic of the role of the autistic voice in research a little further? More

Safe schooling Are schools able to offer safe and suitable provision for autistic children on an individual basis during 'lockdown'? More

Virtual understanding US law enforcement professionals are utilising virtual reality to gain insight into autistic experience. More

Distraction reaction Autistic people may have trouble tuning out distractions. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh believe this may account for some of the problems with sensory sensitivity and sensory processing experienced by individuals on the spectrum. More

Wired for success Auticon, an  IT company, sees the benefits of having a majority-autistic workforce. "Our hybrid onsite and offsite teams utilise the cognitive benefits of autism to provide the sustained concentration and analytical mindset that makes us wired for success". More

Autism advocate In 2017, Daisy Shearer, then a 21-year-old physics major at the University of Surrey in the UK, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In retrospect, the diagnosis made sense. It explained the sensory overload and panic attacks during exams, for example, and the trouble she had maintaining friendships. More

Lockdown life Robyn Steward and Jamie Knight, presenters of the podcast '1800 Seconds on Autism', reveal what’s been going on in their lives during lockdown. From the pasta dish Jamie has eaten every day for five years no longer being available at the supermarket, through to Robyn’s solo trip to hospital, a notoriously noisy and discombobulating place.  More

Eating and autism Is there a relationship between eating disorders and autism? Children with autistic traits are more likely than their peers to develop an eating disorder, according to a new UCL-led study. More

Siblings stick together Why not sign up for a free siblings webinar? Siblings, parents, and other caregivers can participate in this series, which will be the 2nd Tuesday each month. Next one is June 9th. More

Autistic and funny with it Comedian Hannah Gadsby - how an autism diagnosis changed her life More

At home with autism Why do so many parents home-school their children with autism? Ofsted’s recent report says that special educational needs, medical, behavioural or other well-being needs were the main reasons behind such a move for parents and their children More

Autistic mother and daughter “She’s still the same girl she was before she got diagnosed,” I said, tears dripping down my face. “And I’m still the same woman you married, too.” More

Autism at work Our brains don’t all work the same way. One New York-based software company sees that as a competitive advantage. More

Need is different from want "My eldest autistic son lives with daily and debilitating levels of anxiety, most probably on account of engaging with an intolerable and inflexible neurotypical world which bombards him endlessly with noise and communication that is not easy for him to decipher." Read about the need for self-regulation activities and the dangers of using them as rewards. More

Order, order! Structure and security are important to all people.  They  are basic human needs. But being autistic often means that these needs are even more critical. More

Cost of camouflaging "Masking or camouflaging is something just about everybody does on a daily basis. Depending on where you are or who you are with, you act a certain way. People with autism have to do this on a much deeper level. We live in a world that was not designed for us, so we learn to 'hide' the things that make us seem different." More

Picture power SymbolWorld is a website created by Widgit Software specifically for symbol users. It has material for all ages and includes news, personal contributions, stories and learning materials. More

Which way with PDA? The Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of autism might need an adapted approach and a different set of tools. More

Seeing sound, hearing colours What can synaesthesia tell us about autism? More

Story of autism and art Kambel Smith was diagnosed with autism when he was eight years old. Over the past ten years, his father has engaged him in daily improvised storytelling, encouraging Smith to participate in the created narrative by making drawings and sculpture. The results are visible in galleries around the globe. More

Sensory does it Hospitals are using a cart full of tricks to calm patients with ASD and allow them to get the care they need. More

Painting with the spectrum "My art is the easiest part of my life. Everything else is the hard part." Read this great interview with Rebecca Ann Reed, an artist with Aspergers. More

Game for it Brad Hennessey made one of the toughest decisions he'd ever had to make. He took the game he'd spent two years of his life on and he trashed it. He wanted to make something different. Something that mattered. He wanted to make a game that reflected his life experience as a young man living with Autism. More

Take a seat for autism A teenager with autism has found a unique way to help others “see the light” when it comes to autism awareness. Tory Ridgeway gave Windy Hill Elementary School in Owings—where he was once a student a special gift: a bright blue bench. But it’s not just any bench. It’s a buddy bench. More

Teachers help Two great resouces for teachers from TES: A podcast by Uta Frith and Gemma Corby tells us her best strategies for teaching students with autism More

A landscape for autism Was Alfred Wainwright the fell walker and author of intricate Lakeland guidebooks on the autism spectrum? More

A class for autism Has socio-economics got anything to do with prevalence of autism diagnoses? Turns out it probably has. More

What's in a name? 'Autistic person' or 'person with autism? Read this interesting article that looks at the pros and cons of these different ways of expressing that a person is on the autism spectrum? More

Life of quality Researchers are finally turning their attention to autistic adults and trying to figure out factors that affect their quality of life. More

Keep getting up Naoki Higashida is the non-verbal author of bestseller The Reason I Jump. In Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 he explains his behaviours and challenges others’ perceptions. More

Disabled or not Saffron is nine. When she received her diagnosis, her mother Sam did not think what the doctors described sounded like a disability. While Saffron does encounter the difficulties associated with autism, her family encourage her to regard herself simply as not neurotypical, rather than having a disability. More

Thinking different What does the research show regarding cognitive styles of people with high-functioning autism/Asperger syndrome? More

Predicting autism A machine-learning algorithm has analysed brain scans of 6-month-old children and predicted with near-certainty whether they will show signs of autism when they reach the age of 2 More

Take pride A network of school-based groups has been set up by a handful of young adults with autism who wanted to give other kids what they had mostly missed out on over their school years: social connections, self-confidence, acceptance and pride in their autistic condition More

Try Rugby Leo Gradwell Spencer, 11, was bullied at school and struggled with self-confidence until he attended a rugby training camp More