Living Authentically A West Cumbrian author is set to publish her debut book exploring her experience of being diagnosed with autism aged 40. Laura McGarrickwill publish The Parts That Had To Hide: An Autistic Perspective On Survival, Adaptation And Living More Authentically on September 1 with Pesky Publishing. More

ADHD or Autism? A digital tool first released in 2023 uses a touchpad computer like an iPhone or iPad to effectively screen young children for autism at scale, promising to open the door for support and intervention earlier than previously possible. But doctors and researchers developing the tool wanted to know whether conditions like ADHD might be challenging detection in some cases. More

Cancer LD:NorthEast has been awarded a CARE grant from Macmillan Cancer Support as part of a new initiative by the national cancer charity. People with learning disabilities often face additional barriers when accessing healthcare, understanding information and participating in decisions about their care. More

Science strengths “Autism gives me unconventional research ideas” What is everyday life like for someone on the autism spectrum working as a lecturer and researcher at ETH Zurich? Ghislain Fourny talks about his passion for education and science, his strengths – and the challenges that often remain invisible to others. More

Still getting it wrong US President Donald Trump has been criticised for spreading misinformation about autism after signing an order that separates out the childhood MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine and making reference to “high rates of autism”. The order also recommends that the number of childhood vaccines drop to 11 from the existing 18 recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). More

War and autism Continuous bombardment poses a direct threat to the nervous systems of autistic children. In Gaza, constant explosions have driven severe behavioural relapses, including total sleep deprivation, wandering from tents, panic attacks, and self-harm. More

Over-representation There are longstanding problems with the government's counter-extremism programme, Prevent, in relation to autism. Nearly one in five people referred to Britain's controversial Prevent counter-extremism programme had autism recorded as a condition, according to new Home Office figures, raising fresh concerns over the scheme's impact on neurodivergent people. More

Broadly criticised There are claims that the diagnostic criteria for autism have become too broad. Uta Frith’s assertions that the concept of an autism spectrum has become meaningless haven’t gone down well with the autistic community itself. More

Tech time Ciara Ousley, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders (University of Nebraska), recently evaluated the effects of embedding communication technology within storybook reading and play time with young autistic children, ages 2-5, who have limited to no vocal speech. Ousley found significant increases in children’s joint engagement levels when these strategies were introduced. More