Heart n Soul Allsorts, based at The Albany in south-east London, brings together adults with learning disabilities and autistic people to take part in creative sessions led by artists. The programme changes each week, and no two sessions look the same. More

Seeing you Awareness is one thing, but acceptance is another. For Mark Wright, it all started when his daughter drew an apple. More

Health equality Autistic women say smear tests can leave them feeling distressed, dismissed and in pain, with some avoiding them altogether out of anxiety. Research funded by Cancer Research Wales will assess how barriers to cervical screening for autistic women can be removed. More

School memories Anna Higgins felt she never really fitted in at school. She assumed the experience was confusing and overwhelming to everyone. Only when she received an autism diagnosis in her 20s did she begin to appreciate her school days had been particularly challenging - making her aware she may have struggled to fulfil her potential. More

Inclusive touch  Princess Anne was the guest of honour at a tag rugby competition for players with learning disabilities. Tag Fest 26 was organised by the charity Wooden Spoon, which aims to build inclusion through the sport - the Princess Royal is the charity's patron. More

Safeguarding fails Since 2016 the CQC, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, has prosecuted just 11 providers relating to the care of people with learning disabilities, despite the fact that care can fall short and negligence is a reality. More

Autistic strength “Last year, over spring break, I took my then 10-year-old son to Disneyland. For years, I had been reluctant to visit the park, unsure of how my son, who is autistic, would handle the large crowds, long lines, and sensory overload. I needn’t have worried.” More

Health help A three-year plan focused on prevention, independence, and community care has been launched to transform support for people with learning disabilities and autism in Birmingham and Solihull. The strategy sets out 10 key areas for action, with a central ambition to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and enhance preventive services. More

Soccer sacks A football association has teamed up with an autism charity to create and distribute sensory bags across the local football community. The Jersey Football Association and Autism Jersey have launched the bags containing items that could help children and adults self-regulate in over-stimulating environments. More

Saving lives The Zero Suicide Alliance (a national initiative hosted by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust has launched ‘Autism and Suicide Awareness Training’. It’s designed to coach people through spotting the signs and supporting an autistic person. More

Change the system In a new report the Autism Alliance UK makes one overriding point: that to genuinely improve lives and outcomes for autistic children, young people and adults, governments across the UK must invest in systemic change, addressing the deep barriers faced by autistic people which have been present for decades. More

Inclusion and Ofsted Assessing inclusion is rarely straightforward when determining whether a school’s approach is genuinely improving the experiences of vulnerable students. More

Signs of success A former Royal Marine who admits he "couldn't cope" with his autistic son not talking has hailed a communication system for helping him find his voice. Three years ago, the family were introduced to Makaton, which uses signs, symbols and speech to help people of all ages who need support. More

You decide Election 2024 - It’s time to vote so here are links to all available easy read manifestos. More

West End story Concrete Youth and Barnsley Civic have announced the West End run of SENSORY CINDERS, a groundbreaking new co-production which will be the West End’s first inclusive sensory pantomime specifically designed for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). More

More isn’t more New research suggests that increasing the intensity or duration of interventions like applied behavioral analysis (ABA) does NOT significantly improve outcomes for young autistic children. More

Not out The government pledged that by the end of March 2024 they would reduce the number of people with a learning disability or autism in mental health hospitals by 50%. They have missed their own target. More

Health alert Common debilitating health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and neck and back pain, may be under-diagnosed in autistic people, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. More

Care or crime? A young man's help cutting a grass verge has been criticised as "criminal damage" on social media by some members of his local parish council, upsetting his family and residents. More

On camera “What was good about my diagnosis was I could say to Seth: ‘It means you’re like Daddy.’” – Dan Turner on being an autistic parent of an autistic child and exploring autism through filmmaking. More

Medical help Autistic doctors are valued members of the medical profession. Watch Dr Seb Shaw on the importance of reasonable adjustments to help doctors thrive. More

If not me Teenage autism campaigner Cara Darmody has begun a weekly protest outside Government Buildings – and has vowed to continue until her demands are met. The 13-year-old from Tipperary has two autistic, nonverbal brothers and became involved in campaigning after they were not assessed in a timely manner. More

Name change Councils and health services in Cumbria are changing how they refer to autistic people after a consultation. The terms Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will no longer be used by the county's organisations unless for medical diagnostic purposes. More

Eyes have it Can a battery of eye-tracking measures accurately identify young autistic children? More

Animating autism PBS Kids is developing its first-ever series featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum and his neurodiverse friends. The animated show called “Carl the Collector” follows Carl, a raccoon with autism who loves to collect things, and his friends in Fuzzytown, a place where everyone is learning about themselves and those around them. More

Safe community "Being non-binary, queer, autistic, ADHD, I grew up really isolated, and didn't have a lot of community, didn't really have any tools or skills, or any good things going on in my life". Finding a safe community was a difficult task for Sonny Jane Wise, until they created one for others with a similar experience. More

No Bill Charities have accused the government of a "major breach of trust" after key reforms did not appear in the King's Speech. The Mental Health Bill, now seemingly dropped, contained provisions to reform the Mental Health Act 1983, which currently allows people with autism and other learning difficulties to be detained and placed in mental health hospitals. More
 
Hate crime A report finds that people with autism and learning disabilities are still facing hate crimes. Hate crimes against people living with disabilities between 2021 and 2022 increased by 25%. More

Turned away A new screening system for adults wanting an autism or ADHD diagnosis has rejected up to 85% of requests for a referral since it was launched, adding to concerns from campaigners who warn it could become a blueprint across the NHS. More

Hearing in colour A new analysis of thousands of sets of twins suggests that synaesthesia shares genetic roots with autism. Synaesthesia seems to be linked to what are known as non-social autism traits. More

No access An autistic man will receive £20,000 compensation after a “discriminatory” refusal to make the reasonable adjustments he requested for a job interview with the government agency responsible for NHS digital technology. More
 
Nicholas’s story ‘I’ve been locked up for 10 years because I’m autistic. Is a chance at life too much to ask?’ More

Job open (or wrapped) Gillian Jervis set up her and her husband's fish and chip shop to secure their autistic child's future after one horrible comment changed everything. More

Wrong kind of autism? Fewer children will be eligible to get an autism diagnosis from the NHS. Only those who meet certain criteria are able to be referred for an autism diagnosis at the NHS in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. More

Not difficult 'We thought our son was just being difficult but finding out why has changed our lives’. Thomas was diagnosed six days before his fifth birthday. More

Sounds right As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week 13-19 March 2023, musician Anna Neale discusses her personal experience of the brilliance and burnout of ADHD and Autism. More

Unbelievable ‘My GP told me I can’t be autistic, as I can drive a car and I work! I was then sent to the mental health team for depression and anxiety’. More

Consult us An Irish hospital consultant who was diagnosed with autism as an adult nearly a decade ago has said the benefit of discovering she had the condition has been “life changing.”Dr Mary Doherty, an anaesthetist in Navan Hospital, went on to found Autistic Doctors International, which has more than 700 autistic doctors worldwide. More

Autistic and marginalised Research has often fallen short when it comes to capturing the experiences of marginalised groups, such as those who: belong to a minority ethnic community, or whose first language is not English. A new report sheds some light on the issues. Download

Stuck in Hospital A new exhibition illustrates the invisibility of people with learning disabilities and / or autistic people in long-stay hospitals. More

Book an adventure A North Yorkshire author has written her debut children's book encouraging autistic youngsters to enjoy outdoor activities based on her own experiences. Allie Mason has written her debut publication - The Autistic Guide To Adventure - after her experience of being diagnosed as an adult two years ago, at the age of 23. More

Staying true A young mother recently diagnosed with autism admits she was never able to present her true self to her mother. Flo Bennett was diagnosed with autism five years ago, when she was 24 years old. She shared her experience on a BBC documentary Inside Our Autistic Minds and said it had helped her to open up to her family. More

Parent questions How can a parent tell if their child may be autistic? And what help can they get? The NHS has published a guide detailing the most common signs of autism in children. More