SEND Support More than two thirds of teachers in England report that they never, rarely or only sometimes receive the support they need to teach learners with SEND effectively. Take a look at a new course for teachers and support staff. More

Early is better? Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin. More

Seen and heard "2020 has been the best year of my life — for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. As an individual on the autism spectrum, I have lived my life oscillating between being ‘different,’ getting judged for it, and reacting by masking my neurodivergence to blend in" More

Let me in ​If museums can do more to reach out to the estimated 700,000 people in the UK with a diagnosis of autism, they will find a loyal and highly engaged audience. Museums were quick to implement Covid-19 safety measures and now they need to apply that same rigour to improving accessibility.  More

Letting it out “I have to admit reading that report I just cried because it was so jarring to find out that  the last 45 years of my life have been slightly different than I thought they were. It means I’ve always had Autism and didn’t know it.” More

Lost in lockdown The coronavirus pandemic has continued to negatively impact on both the mental and physical health of people with learning disabilities. Many people with learning disabilities reported finding it increasingly difficult to cope and have found the current lockdown
significantly more challenging than the first one. More

We're capable The Skills for Health Capabilities Frameworks describe the skills, knowledge, and behaviours which people bring to their work with autistic people. Training/CPD in England must facilitate staff to surpass these standards. More

Mixed results New research suggests that social media interactions and relationships benefit autistic folk. However, findings also suggest that some autistic people continue to be lonely and desire in-person relationships despite cultivating social media friendships. More

Big noise A new study may explain why people with autism are often highly sensitive to light and noise. More

Diagnosis and me ​"My rule-following autistic brain wouldn’t allow me to think of myself as really autistic until someone officially diagnosed me as such" More

Stop with the stereotyping These days, it seems fashionable to speculate about whether or not someone is on the autistic spectrum. Is this acceptable? More

Socially speaking A number of myths about autistic people abound. It's a great myth that autistic people lack empathy. However, the more you get to know an autistic person, the more you realise just how caring they can be. More

That's accepted We are approaching April, Autism Awareness Month.  Please do not be fooled. Awareness is not the same as acceptance and inclusion. More

Guide to 'me' When Dr Camilla Pang was eight, she asked her mum if there was an instruction manual on how to be a human. She was sick of getting things 'wrong' and being told that her behaviour wasn’t 'normal'. She wanted, above everything, to feel like she fitted in. More

Drawing on autism A teenage autistic author published her new comic to show those with autism they are not alone More

Describing different For artist and writer Charlotte Amelia Poe, 30, every day feels like a walk across a frozen pond. “It’s how it’s always been,” she explains. “You’re trying to navigate it and stay safe, but you’re aware that at any moment the ice is likely to crack, and at that point you will sink into the water.” More

Times of trouble With the current covid19 virus spreading anxiety and uncertainty in the autism community, why not send this newsletter to someone who might just need some positivity right now. Subscription link

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