The reason why... A new film is being heralded by some as a ​huge leap forward for autism representation More

Help early "It would've changed my life": New autism screening method hopes to reduce age of diagnosis and address barriers More

And finally "I was diagnosed with autism in my 70s and finally found out I wasn't just bad, mad, or sad." Emily Lovergrove's father told her she had 'never been normal' and the one school friend she had bullied her but she wasn't given any kind of formal diagnosis until she was 71. More

Strong bonds Researchers have been working together for the past several years to develop a better understanding of autism through a study that challenged them to fundamentally reimagine the concepts associated with social connection. More

Medical help An autistic man has described how he was conscious throughout surgery after the anaesthetic did not work. Corey Burke is working to train medical professionals to better understand people with a cognitive disability. More

Me too An Oxfordshire politician has shared the journey which led her to be diagnosed with autism as an adult. the diagnosis came after she began to research the ways the condition manifests in women differently to men. Now she wants to use her public facing role as a local councillor living with autism to raise awareness of the condition, and the different ways people experience it. More

Uncertain times "My life has been filled with uncertainty for a long time, but my son has helped me stay flexible, adjust expectations and persevere. The crisis isn’t abating anytime soon. Yet surprisingly, the uncertainty and angst feel familiar. I know this road. As a parent of a child with special needs, I’ve been traveling it a long time." More

Let's work Gordon Douglas spent most of his 20s on welfare, struggling to find an employer who would look past his "differences" and give him a break. The 34-year-old battled his way through job application after job application but, despite being highly qualified and intelligent, he often fell out of contention when it came to face-to-face interviews. More

Stay alert A free initiative launched this year to make it easier for people with autism and learning disabilities to navigate stressful situations is proving to be a huge success. The Autism Alert Cards enable police and other emergency service workers to communicate with autistic residents more effectively, helping those on the autism spectrum feel comfortable in difficult or frightening situations. More

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

Family complications Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism but as with virtually everything related to the spectrum the picture is a complicated one! More
...and while we are talking family links, just how genetic is atism? A lot as it turns out. More

Fit on the spectrum Take a look at this innovative fitness programme that aims to tackle fitness of young people with autism and other disabilities. More

Acceptance is key  New research that shows a lack of acceptance can significantly impact on the mental health of autistic adults. More

Help for parents "I have learned so much in my two decades of being a mother. My children have been my best teachers." More

Health equality please A lack of clear mental health support for people with Autism spectrum conditions is leaving vulnerable people at risk and costing lives, campaigners have warned. More

Sensory spectrum Differences in sensory sensitivity, processing and perception have always been part of our understanding of autism, but maybe it's a bigger part than we ever thought. More

Making friends making music "Nat’s now 28, and I have looked into so much that eventually I stopped looking. Nothing worked. I didn’t even know what “worked” meant. By the time Nat was a teen, all I wanted was to find something he liked to do. More

Fixing education figures Children's Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, said she was concerned some schools wanted autistic children removed to improve their results. More

The 'A' Word Anxiety exacerbates social communication problems in children with autism — and not the other way around, a new study suggests More

Sister support “Please don’t ask me how I am or how my day has been,” the sign said. “I really struggle with such vague and open questions.” Read the fascinating account of two sisters with autism upfront and central to their relationship. More

Sensory, structured and safe How do we create a school environment in which children on the autism spectrum can flourish! More

Primary importance “GPs and other primary care staff have a key role in ensuring that patients on the autism spectrum (and any carers) have equitable access to health care” Research Autism. Now GPs have a ‘fit for purpose’ learning programme that delivers. More

Team for change Ever wondered why good intentions and well-trained staff don’t always achieve the great outcomes we want for service users with autism? More

Revisiting regression In our modern understanding of autism should we take another look at the idea of regression in some youngsters with autism? More

Me myself 'I'm An Autistic Adult—Here's What I Want You To Know' Three women share how they learned to live (and thrive) with autism. More

Self regulated and successful "It felt like it was time for me to try new things, to meet new people and try to adjust to life,” Zachary Zupko has certainly done that and way more. More

Work not working The biggest challenge for people with autism in the 21st Century is getting into employment. More

It’s as easy as AAC Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is the term used to describe methods of communication that can add-on to or replace speech helping kids and adults with autism find a voice. More

Channeling autism A man is aiming to be the first autistic person ever to complete a solo swim of the English Channel. More

Focussing on futures There is no single development trajectory for youngsters with autism so trying to predict what the future will look like and what future needs will be is nigh on impossible. More