Tough to talk about? Listen to Amy Gravino, autism advocate, on what parents can say about sex and relationships to autistic youngsters. More

B is for bullied A study has found autistic children are more likely to be victims of bullying. Researchers call for more resources to help parents deal with bullying behaviours in home and school. More

Rude! "A recent altercation I had with a flight attendant exemplified just how little most people understand about neurological diversity", Laura McKenna (Mum to Ian who has Aspergers). More

Touching The inability to tolerate light touch is a telltale feature of autism. What causes it? More

Design for life How can autism-friendly architecture change autistic children’s lives? How do we design/change schools for children with autism. More

Sad situation Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression over the course of their lives as their neurotypical peers. Yet researchers know little about why, or how best to help. More

A big question Researchers are taking a multi-pronged approach to understanding a great mystery of autism: Why are four times more boys diagnosed with the condition than girls? The lack of information about autism in girls means many are never diagnosed and miss out on support. More

Right to work (without discrimination) A Wales Trade Union Congress survey showed only 16% of autistic adults were in full-time paid work. The organisation also said it was dealing with cases where staff were not getting reasonable adaptations in the workplace, required under the Equality Act. More

Teachers must train Parents of autistic children have protested at Stormont over the lack of mandatory training on autism for teachers in Northern Ireland. More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for improvements to be made in schools. More

Autism plays a part Actress and playwright Anna Kyle talks about how realising she had Asperger Syndrome has helped her understand and cope with life More

Art of autism At the age of 15, Niam Jain has achieved a level of respect and recognition in North American art circles typically reserved for much older artists. More

Seeking social My brother Michael leaves the best voicemails, is a great traveling companion and does a spot-on impression of our late grandmother. Michael is also on the autism spectrum, and has been my life’s best reference for loving someone who is neuroatypical. More

Crisis? this crisis "We had to fight for even a basic assessment. Now we’ve been told the school setting he needs is not available" More

Not helping A survey of Scottish autistic people has found that over half have had negative experiences while trying to access mental health services. More

'Getting' autismThree golden rules for supporting autistic pupils - we need to move beyond generalisations and bust some of the myths around autism, says Luke Beardon. More

That's part of it Mounting evidence supports the idea that motor and sensory differences are notable features of autism. More

I declare If you have autism should you disclose that fact when you're trying for a job? If you've been hired without sharing your spectrum condition with your boss, should you tell him or her about it? More

Inside story Disproportionately higher numbers of people with learning disabilities are in prison. Around 7% of people in the criminal justice system have a learning disability, compared with around 2% of the population. More

Terms of engagement How to approach the difficult world of dating on the spectrum More

Make time make sense “First, then” is a technique used to help organize the day, or the session, or the next three minutes. More

Home is where it's at In a new guideline, NICE says children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, who have behaviour that challenges, should have the right support to live their lives in the community like everyone else. More

Also Adults "Autistic children become autistic adults and, as the first generation of mainstreamed students grow up, we need to start having 'an adult conversation' around autism." More

Designed by autism Every detail of the new Shrub Oak International School near NYC—from windows to wall colours—was crafted with autistic students in mind. More

Travel chaos Travelling on public transport can be pretty stressful at the best of times. However, for someone who is autistic, venturing on their everyday commute and facing the unknown can be an incredibly overwhelming experience. More

Ready or not? The number of individuals with ASC entering adulthood each year is expected to double over the next 6 years. What can they expect? Jobs, independence, somewhere of their own? More

Problem diagnosed Putting autism diagnostic services in the hands of a private provider hasn't worked in Kent and hundreds of children are still waiting. More

Help at hand Biometric technology could be the future of autism care. Wristband sensors can monitor tiny physiological signs and alert support workers and clinicians to an individual’s growing anxiety. 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