SEND Support More than two thirds of teachers in England report that they never, rarely or only sometimes receive the support they need to teach learners with SEND effectively. Take a look at a new course for teachers and support staff. More

Early is better? Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin. More

Seen and heard "2020 has been the best year of my life — for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. As an individual on the autism spectrum, I have lived my life oscillating between being ‘different,’ getting judged for it, and reacting by masking my neurodivergence to blend in" More

Let me in ​If museums can do more to reach out to the estimated 700,000 people in the UK with a diagnosis of autism, they will find a loyal and highly engaged audience. Museums were quick to implement Covid-19 safety measures and now they need to apply that same rigour to improving accessibility.  More

Letting it out “I have to admit reading that report I just cried because it was so jarring to find out that  the last 45 years of my life have been slightly different than I thought they were. It means I’ve always had Autism and didn’t know it.” More

Lost in lockdown The coronavirus pandemic has continued to negatively impact on both the mental and physical health of people with learning disabilities. Many people with learning disabilities reported finding it increasingly difficult to cope and have found the current lockdown
significantly more challenging than the first one. More

We're capable The Skills for Health Capabilities Frameworks describe the skills, knowledge, and behaviours which people bring to their work with autistic people. Training/CPD in England must facilitate staff to surpass these standards. More

Mixed results New research suggests that social media interactions and relationships benefit autistic folk. However, findings also suggest that some autistic people continue to be lonely and desire in-person relationships despite cultivating social media friendships. More

Big heart Murray MacDonald, who runs a group called Autism on the Water, decided to start cooking soup and delivering them to people during the lockdown because he was lonely. More

Just wrong ‘Do not resuscitate’ notices have been given to Covid patients with learning disabilities during the pandemic, says Mencap charity, "Vulnerable people have encountered shocking discrimination". More

Accept it "Though there are a lot of people who are aware that autism exists, there are fewer who understand what autism is, so we still need to be out teaching the public and our first responders the basics of what it is to be on the spectrum, and how to best relate to us" More

Profound impact Read the Autism Europe report: Impact of COVID-19 on autistic people and their families across Europe More

Radical review The government has launched an independent review into the children's care sector in England. It will be lead by a former teacher, Josh MacAlister, who founded the social work charity Frontline in 2013.  More

My diagnosis Assessment and diagnosis of autism: what can you expect? A quick guide for young people and their families​ More

All about timing Autistic children have a harder time catching a ball than non-autistic children do, possibly because they are less able to predict its trajectory, according to a new unpublished study. Researchers presented the findings virtually this week More

Excluded again Becky Hunter and her 14-year-old son, Mackenzie, live in Skellow, a former pit village near Doncaster. Mackenzie has a diagnosis of autism, and is in year 10 at the Outwood academy in Adwick, where, in the academic year 2017-18, 27.9% of pupils were subject to fixed-term exclusions, the eighth highest rate of any school in England. More

Gender question The podcast 1800 seconds on autism asks if autistic people are more gender fluid. More

Amazing Kids Listen to children from different backgrounds share their unique experiences of the autistic spectrum in their own words. More

A girls journey "Whether positive or negative — or, more likely, a mix of both — there is no denying that having a diagnosis makes the difference between accessing healthcare and support, or receiving nothing at all. But the journey to diagnosis is often lengthy, confusing and frustrating" More

Get some in Autism self-advocate and personal trainer Mark Fleming discusses the importance of exercise for the neurodivergent. More




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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

Damaging delays New research has shown that more than 128,000 children and their families risk being ‘forgotten’ by the system as lockdown causes delays in autism diagnosis.​ More

Sound and sensitivity A tiny fish is helping scientists understand how the human brain processes sound, while also giving insight to autism. More

Cash crisis Almost 90% of English councils overspent on their budgets for teaching children with special needs last year, and the underfunding is set to continue into 2021. More

Finding out "I’m Autistic. I Didn’t Know Until I Was 27. Autism spectrum disorder is inseparable from who I am. I wish only that it hadn’t taken so long to find out." More

Anorexia and autism linked? In 1983, psychologist Christopher Gillberg posed a provocative question to the readers of the British Journal of Psychiatry: Could autism and anorexia nervosa share underlying causes?​ More

Tech can help "When my son’s speech and language delay was first highlighted, in 2016, there was a negative stigma attached to screen time with children, both for neurotypical and neurodivergent kids. It took a global lockdown to dislodge that viewpoint, and I'm glad that it did". More

Failing health Mental health services need to develop greater sensitivity to the mental health risks in autism. Right now they are failing adolescents and young adults with autism ​. More

Small talk is a big deal Having a casual conversation can be the most stressful part of some people's day. Sheree Somers knows what this feels like and she has some advice for us all to make things better.​ More

See strengths ”Having autism doesn’t mean I don’t have the same goals as you. It means that I am not able to talk and my body doesn’t behave like I want it to.” More

Autistic and invisible Girls with autism are not being diagnosed because they are adept at camouflaging their behaviour in an effort to try to fit in, according to a new study. More

Reclaiming research for autism "I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at 18 years old. At 18 years old, I began to understand myself. Finally, I understood why I am this way" More

Don't generalise Autistic people vary widely in their quality of life, a new study shows. Some report shortcomings in their physical health and school achievement, among other areas, but many do not. More

Care to spare Autistic people care too much, research suggests. ​A journal article in The Journal of Neuroscience was released last week regarding morality and individual gain, comparing groups of autistic people and non-autistic people More

Low-down on lockdown "The new [national] lockdown measures are causing a lot of anxiety for people like me. It’s difficult to wake up one morning and be told you can’t leave your house or go to school." More

Welcome to the house "I honestly never thought that I would run for office, because I didn't see people in elected office who were like me," Jessica Benham More

Spotting signs Sam Bailey says she felt guilty that she hadn't spotted the signs sooner. "Looking back, he has an issue with loud music and loud noises. A hand dryer in the toilet, he’d be like: 'Agh!'," More

Why the wait? Families are living a 'nightmare' waiting two years for children to get access to autism referrals More

A.I. help for jobs Researchers are collaborating to develop artificial intelligence based software to help people on the autism spectrum find and hold meaningful employment. “We believe that people with disabilities add a needed element to the richness of the American and global workforce,” More

Through An Autistic Eye Autistic photographer inspires other young people with special needs to take photos as he prepares to publish debut book  More 

Life in lockdown A mother and son have written an illustrated book during lockdown to help explain autism to others. More

Sounds different Unlike typical toddlers, those with autism may tend not to share experiences involving sound — dancing to music with their parents, for example, or directing a parent’s attention toward a cat’s meow — according to a new study More

Good read Get hold of Sarah Kurchak's ‘autiebiography’ (an autobiography written by an autistic person) which, though it may not reflect the experiences of everyone on the spectrum, is sure to resonate with many More

Getting in the door Being diagnosed with autism at the age of 33 was a watershed moment for Josh McKeiver. - "That was a huge relief. I cried. I'd never cried so much in my life, over days." Employment however is another hurdle. More

Care changes needed Too many people with learning disabilities or autism are receiving "undignified and inhumane care" in specialist hospitals, a care regulator has found. More

Autism in the family "What [autism] means for us, in my family, is that we experience external stimuli as blasts of information. When we are out in public, the smells, the sights, the sounds and the people can all merge together and become completely overwhelming." More

Asthma and autism? In the United States, children with autism or other developmental disabilities are at least twice as likely to have asthma as their typically developing peers are, according to a new study More

Ability awareness Listen to Francesca Happé talking to Jim al-Khalili about the abilities of people with autism More

Education frustration Children across the county are now returning to the classrooms following lockdown and summer holidays but it seems that for many autistic youngsters the right provision is not in place More

Word on the street Five years after “Sesame Street” put its focus on autism, new research suggests the show’s materials are helping to change minds More

Diagnostic difficulties What would make screening and diagnosing autism more accurate? A new study found it could be something as simple as listening to parents! More

Jobs to help cure loneliness "It is estimated that 90% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed. You might ask, “How could that be?” The answer involves a complex, systemic set of issues, but the reality is clear. Given how hard it has been for us to live life socially isolated since mid-March, I ask you: How would you like to do that for the rest of your life?" More

Autism and gender diversity Autistic people are more likely than neurotypical people to be gender diverse, several studies show, and gender-diverse people are more likely to have autism More

Back to the future An autism support charity As I Am has produced a useful booklet – Bridge Back to School – to help with transition and the difficult re-entry to school for autistic youngsters More

Right person right job support Mark (autism and ADHD) speaks out about his experiences in the workplace and how a charity helped him find a job right for him More

Food and the spectrum Eating disorders in autistic people are poorly understood, but they tend to be more severe and long-lasting. What, if any, is the link? More

Where's the support? More than a quarter of English councils are acting unlawfully by discriminating against children with autism, according to a report by disability law experts More

Don't forget us People with learning disabilities in Oxfordshire say they feel forgotten by the Government when it comes to coronavirus COVID-19. Members of the Oxfordshire self-advocacy charity, My Life My Choice say they feel abandoned. More

Me too The founder of a charity for autistic children and their families is celebrating her own autism diagnosis at age 48. Rachel started Autism Camp Australia to support and provide respite for the families of young autistic people after her daughter was diagnosed at the age seven More

Including me “We can have a diverse workplace, but unless you really have inclusion, meaningful inclusion, where people feel they are welcomed in the workplace, they have a stake in the work, it’s really difficult to retain a qualified workforce.” More

Moving story Most autistic people — 87 percent, according to the latest estimate — have some sort of motor difference or difficulty, ranging from an unusual gait to frustrations with handwriting. So what does the science say? More

Wild passion "My career as a wildlife photographer was born out of my obsession with animals. As a kid, I would spend hours watching documentaries, reading my animal encyclopaedia or researching online" More

Making it as an autistic adult Listen to a podcast “‘Living in Uncertain Times: Coping Strategies for Adults on the Autism Spectrum” with Stephen Shore More

How to 'see' autism Interview with Temple Grandin: Autism, genetics and "nature versus nurture" More

That's quality What is 'quality of life' for autistic people? It should be defined by autistic people themselves, surely? Thats what the WHO says. How to improve it? Now there's a question More

Getting it wrong Anne Hegerty reveals the biggest misconceptions about autism More

​Canine question Do therapy dogs  help children struggling with social communication? More

Autism, community and Covid-19 “I have to say hello to people,” Ramírez said. “And I have like a certain number, like 30 people, I have to say hello. And so when I'm walking around, I do that with my neighbors. So everybody thinks that I'm really sociable, but I'm actually very introverted. I'm actually really shy.” More

Living the science Growing ranks of researchers on the spectrum are overcoming barriers—from neurotypical bias to sensory sensitivities—to shape autism science More

Mind works School-based mindfulness programs can improve decision-making skills and teach children with autism to focus attention More

Not knowing "I wasn’t diagnosed with Asperger’s until I was about 23 years old and I wish I’d known about it sooner". More

Research needs you University of York researchers need your help with a project looking at experiences of bullying in childhood in autistic adults. More
... why not explore the topic of the role of the autistic voice in research a little further? More

Safe schooling Are schools able to offer safe and suitable provision for autistic children on an individual basis during 'lockdown'? More

Virtual understanding US law enforcement professionals are utilising virtual reality to gain insight into autistic experience. More

Distraction reaction Autistic people may have trouble tuning out distractions. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh believe this may account for some of the problems with sensory sensitivity and sensory processing experienced by individuals on the spectrum. More

Wired for success Auticon, an  IT company, sees the benefits of having a majority-autistic workforce. "Our hybrid onsite and offsite teams utilise the cognitive benefits of autism to provide the sustained concentration and analytical mindset that makes us wired for success". More

Autism advocate In 2017, Daisy Shearer, then a 21-year-old physics major at the University of Surrey in the UK, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In retrospect, the diagnosis made sense. It explained the sensory overload and panic attacks during exams, for example, and the trouble she had maintaining friendships. More

Lockdown life Robyn Steward and Jamie Knight, presenters of the podcast '1800 Seconds on Autism', reveal what’s been going on in their lives during lockdown. From the pasta dish Jamie has eaten every day for five years no longer being available at the supermarket, through to Robyn’s solo trip to hospital, a notoriously noisy and discombobulating place.  More

Eating and autism Is there a relationship between eating disorders and autism? Children with autistic traits are more likely than their peers to develop an eating disorder, according to a new UCL-led study. More

Siblings stick together Why not sign up for a free siblings webinar? Siblings, parents, and other caregivers can participate in this series, which will be the 2nd Tuesday each month. Next one is June 9th. More