At a difficult age Researchers are just beginning to learn what happens in the brains of autistic children during adolescence to explain their unique social, cognitive and emotional challenges More

Financial fight "You're literally having to fight people to get what you know your child is actually legally entitled to," Anna Geldard spent £20,000 fighting for the Education, Health and Social Care Plan (EHCP) her child is entitled to. More

Super supporters Volunteers and medics have been praised for the way they helped a woman with learning difficulties get her first vaccination jab. Lucie Willis has autism and epilepsy and her parents Helen and Mark were apprehensive about how she would cope with going to York's vaccination centre More

More autism Autism is more common in children in England than previously thought –  a study at University of Cambridge also found that prevalence numbers varied by ethnicity and levels of deprivation More

Video sharing Bristol group Autism Independence has launched a series of multi-language short films to dispel myths about autism in the Somali community, "We hope that our films, particularly the version in the Somali language, can reach many more families and reassure parents." More

Sensory shopping "As an autistic, I always need to take my disability into account when I make consumer choices. Something a neurotypical person may not even notice—a beep, a buzz, a scratchy tag—can overwhelm my senses". More

Sounds good Many children with autism struggle to find the words to express how they feel. But when it comes to music, it’s an entirely different situation. How can teachers incorporate music in everyday lessons? More

Positive pathways What do we know about encouraging employment and thereby fostering independence among autistic young adults? A team in Cambridge, MA think they have a few answers More

Help in mind 2020 hasn’t been an easy year for teens. Covid-19, exam cancellations and school closures have made it the most disrupted school year in 75 years. The folks at myTutor have some ideas about how parents can equip their teens with tactics and tips to cope with whatever life throws at them. More

Ideas please Parenting any child is challenging, but the joys and feelings that come with parenting a child with special needs are unique. Wondermoms is a great source of advice and ideas. More


​

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

Diagnosis reaction "She asked how I felt about the news, and I couldn’t speak; I took a moment to catch my breath and say, “Shocked.” I’m not sure why I said that, as I wasn’t — but the relief I felt was unreal. I had waited for what felt like forever to hear those words" More

Let's talk work As many as 10,000 young people with autism could gain work placements over the next two years, thanks to a sponsorship deal with telecoms company TalkTalk. More

Knowledge is power Kate McMurdo decided to arm herself with some legal skills when Lewis was diagnosed with autism aged four. After she struggled to find a suitable school for Lewis, she used her legal skills and secured funding for a place at an independent school. More

Tough Transition “Falling off the cliff” is the term often used by worried parents and family members when young adults with autism and other developmental differences turn 18. More

That's Super The Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League gives people with learning disabilities and autism the chance to live their dreams as rugby league stars, playing a specially adapted version of the sport for the clubs that they love.  Now they are award winners! More

Seeing signs Schools are failing to spot ADHD and autism, which could be contributing to a rise in exclusions, an alternative education provider has said. Kelly Rowlands, who runs schools for excluded children, said seven out of nine of her pupils arrived with undiagnosed neurodiversity issues. More

Autism explained It's never easy but Robyn Steward explains autism, and all the terms that go with it better than most. Listen to a podcast with Robyn. More

Autistic and funny with it Comedian Hannah Gadsby - how an autism diagnosis changed her life More

At home with autism Why do so many parents home-school their children with autism? Ofsted’s recent report says that special educational needs, medical, behavioural or other well-being needs were the main reasons behind such a move for parents and their children More

Autistic mother and daughter “She’s still the same girl she was before she got diagnosed,” I said, tears dripping down my face. “And I’m still the same woman you married, too.” More

Autism at work Our brains don’t all work the same way. One New York-based software company sees that as a competitive advantage. More

Need is different from want "My eldest autistic son lives with daily and debilitating levels of anxiety, most probably on account of engaging with an intolerable and inflexible neurotypical world which bombards him endlessly with noise and communication that is not easy for him to decipher." Read about the need for self-regulation activities and the dangers of using them as rewards. More

Order, order! Structure and security are important to all people.  They  are basic human needs. But being autistic often means that these needs are even more critical. More

Cost of camouflaging "Masking or camouflaging is something just about everybody does on a daily basis. Depending on where you are or who you are with, you act a certain way. People with autism have to do this on a much deeper level. We live in a world that was not designed for us, so we learn to 'hide' the things that make us seem different." More

Picture power SymbolWorld is a website created by Widgit Software specifically for symbol users. It has material for all ages and includes news, personal contributions, stories and learning materials. More

Which way with PDA? The Pathological Demand Avoidance profile of autism might need an adapted approach and a different set of tools. More

Seeing sound, hearing colours What can synaesthesia tell us about autism? More

Story of autism and art Kambel Smith was diagnosed with autism when he was eight years old. Over the past ten years, his father has engaged him in daily improvised storytelling, encouraging Smith to participate in the created narrative by making drawings and sculpture. The results are visible in galleries around the globe. More

Art from outside Susan stopped speaking aged four, and has since communicated only through her acutely detailed drawings. As her first UK exhibition opens, her sister and curator reveal an extraordinary life – and talent More

Mine safety When Stuart Duncan started Autcraft, a private Minecraft server for people on the autism spectrum, he had no idea it would become the community it is today. With more than 8,200 members, Autcraft lets children and adults on the autism spectrum play Minecraft in a judgment- and troll-free space More

Home front "Call it mother’s intuition, or call it years and years of practice, but I knew something was wrong. It was the delayed effect. My son has had a tricky day at school. He has held it together for nearly seven hours. Then he walks through the front door, and bam!" More

Talking puberty Puberty isn’t a picnic for any kid. Mood swings, voice changes, and temper tantrums can test the limits of parenting patience. But for kids on the spectrum, everything goes to 11. More

From a distance Long wait times have been a persistent issue for families waiting to see an autism specialist, with waits often exceeding a year. Additionally, children with autism living in rural areas have added costs associated with traveling long distances for health care. Can Telehealth help? More

I can self regulate Researchers have analyzed whether self-regulation would be a good predictor of resilience. This study shows that helping these young people to bounce back from adversities by acquiring self-regulation skills such as setting goals and adjusting their path after a misstep, equips them better to do well in school and in life. More

Designed for me Children with autism have a range of particular needs when it comes to the ideal learning environment, and these are unlikely to be provided for by standard classroom design. So what is good school design for autism? More

Fighting to fit in For adults with autism, the early years navigating school and playground friendships can be the toughest. But a diagnosis can provide answers and a light at the end of the tunnel. More

Come and visit We have courses, resources, news and views, all on our colourful new website More

Parent journey Read this moving account of one families journey from realisation to diagnosis - from acceptance to advocacy More
...and if you like that, you'll love this blog by Danielle More

Friendship skills Kids on the spectrum (contrary to the stereotype) often want friends but don't always know the best way to go about getting them. Keeping them can be quite a challenge too! More

Marriage of different minds 'On my first date with Mike — we’ve been partners now for 24 years — he asked me, “Are we on a date?” And on the second date, he asked, “Are we still dating? - It took me nearly 17 years to realize having to ask someone to know exactly what was going on is typical of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome More

School: being there not enough On March 22, 2017, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of raising the educational standard for children with disabilities by saying that a child's "educational program must be appropriately ambitious in light of his circumstances" and "every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives." More

Autism schools rise The “more complex” requirements of autistic pupils compared with other special needs have led to high exclusion rates in England and a rising demand for specialised school places. Of the 44 special needs free schools set to open or already opened in the past five years, 21 (48 per cent) primarily or solely focused on autism More

Residents rights A group of autistic Hackney residents has joined forces with the council and local health services to make the borough “more autism-friendly” - tackling bullying, discrimination and lack of services More