Nearly half of American children with autism aged 10 to 17 are overweight or obese, compared with less than one-third of their typically developing peers, according to a new study1. And those with the most severe autism features appear to be at the greatest risk of being obese. The study, based on d…

Mice with either too much or too little MeCP2, the gene mutated in Rett syndrome, show similar malfunctions in a learning and memory brain circuit, according to a new study1. The findings may help explain why people with Rett syndrome and those with MeCP2 duplication syndrome share common features. …

Tell me about the colors only you can see. Scarlett was diagnosed with autism today. They say a diagnosis of autism is given every 20 minutes… By Alyssa Adamson Sweet child, light of my life, I promise to never allow any fear to stop me from unlocking all of the universes that exist in your br…

This month’s response comes from Dr. Bryan J. Blair. The original discussion questions can be found in last week’s post. Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page! One of my early applied behavior analysis (ABA) supervisors used to say that the hardest part …

Depression may show up as insomnia and restlessness in children with autism, rather than as the more common feelings of sadness, a new study suggests1. Estimates of the prevalence of depression in autism range from 10 to 72 percent2,3. Still, a 2015 study found that only about half of autistic indiv…

Susan Adrian writes books for kids and teens, and lately, she’s been reimagining fun retellings and sequels to favorite classics. A fourth-generation Californian, she now lives in the Big Sky country of Montana. She’s always had a lifelong fascination with all things British, especially stories for …

By Nils Skudra In studying the lives of Autistic prodigies, I recently learned about Stephen Wiltshire, a British artist of West Indian descent who has earned international renown for his detailed cityscape sketches, drawn entirely from photographic memory. These drawings have become immensely popul…

By Ron Sandison On August 21st my second book Thought, Choice, Action was published. I spent over 1,200 hours researching and writing this book. I now have two traditionally published books and speak at over 70 events a year on autism including 20 plus educational conferences. In the process of wri…

Paula Powers is  a new children’s picture book author and also a single, full-time working mom to a young son with autism. She’s wanted to write children’s books since she was young and now was the time to make that dream come true. What will she claim as her greatest reward? Inspiring young r…

Since the stirring and sterling release of his debut album, And the Moon Rising, Canadian musician Trevor Owen has been keen to incorporate American Sign Language into his music videos. The time has finally arrived, and the complete 10-track set of his ASL-enhanced music videos are available now! …

Women with autism show fewer repetitive behaviors than men with the condition on a standard diagnostic test. This difference may lead to a ‘partial’ diagnosis for many women, qualifying them for only limited services, according to the largest study of adults with autism to date. Clinicians may diagn…

Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that affects up to 15 percent of women of childbearing age, increases the risk of having a child with autism by 59 percent1. The risk for obese women with the disorder is higher still — about double that of women who do not have PCOS. The …

why I’m no longer employed By an anonymous female on the autism spectrum Sorry, I had to title my first AOA blog with my favorite saying from the King’s Quest video game series. In game VII a very ugly (to some) troll asks the beautiful Princess Rosella for a kiss. Upon rejection his rep…

By: Catherine L. McHugh, MA, BCBA, LBA and Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-DDepartment of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas Historically, teaching a communicative repertoire to children or individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I…