Based on the true story of Austin LeRette, The Unbreakable Boy is told in the charmingly unpredictable voice of an autistic teen with a rare brittle bone disease. The story follows a young couple stumbling through parenthood who find constant inspiration from the joy and optimism of their spectacula…

By Mabz Beet 2015 is considered by many to be the year transgender people and the issues they are faced with were brought to mainstream attention. Transparent, a show that has employed more transgender people than any show in the United States, returned for a second season. Laverne Cox continued to …

Autistic children with sensory issues show more pronounced changes in heart rate in response to unpleasant sounds and brushing against rough surfaces than their non-autistic peers do, a new study shows. The result suggests that heart-rate variability may be a sensitive indicator of sensory issues in…

“Maybe if I can skydive, I might someday feel secure enough and steady enough to sit in conversations with people and not play on my phone. “ By Austin John Jones Do you ever get that feeling that you think you might want something, but you aren’t exactly sure? Like you can’t make …

By Raquel Abiahy Fashion is often seen as a dazzling world of creativity, individuality, and self-expression. But for someone like me, an autistic model and activist, it can also be a space filled with challenges, misunderstandings, and exclusion. I’ve spent much of my life navigating the intersecti…

During my years, I had been stuck in a cycle of isolation and of desire. I’d wanted things I couldn’t have. I was invariably failing to search for things I couldn’t attain. But now, I had a means to break free from this habit. The key to liberation was within me and the first step was to accept who …

Demand for measles vaccines has surged in the Washington county where the highly contagious virus is linked to more than 50 confirmed illnesses this year — including among people who had previously shunned the shots. Orders for two types of measles vaccines in Clark County were up nearly 500 p…

Many parents choose to “ground” their kids when they make poor decisions. Maybe they lose access to video games for a week, or can’t watch TV for a month. Grounding in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Here are a few considerations: If you keep grounding your kid for the same behavior, …

Children who contract serious infections have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with autism, a study of more than 1 million children suggests1. Many studies have explored the link between infection in a pregnant woman and autism in her child. The new study is among the first to examine the …

The more words autistic children hear as infants — and the more verbal interactions they have with their caregivers — the better their language skills at age 2, a new study suggests1. The quantity of speech young children hear in the home is known to have a strong influence on language development a…

By Christa Holmans, Neurodivergent Rebel I had the immense privilege of being diagnosed autistic at the age of twenty-nine. Outsiders may not understand why I say this event was a privilege. Why would I be happy about receiving a diagnosis that will stay with me for the rest of my life? Because that…

By Austin John Jones Hello readers, have you ever felt that feeling? That really AWFUL feeling? That feeling when you feel like you are stuck in a hole and you can’t climb out? Maybe that feeling when all you want to do is lie down and just curl up and die? Or maybe that feeling when you feel like e…

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 24 June 2019 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Alaqua Cox, stepping into the Marvel universe as the lead in the new Disney+ series Echo, embarked on an intense training regimen, working with a stunt team five days a week to master the physical demands of her role. As the first Native American lead in a Marvel series, her preparation involved hon…