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

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

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