For a pregnant woman, the factors that can raise autism risk in her unborn child may seem to abound. Studies suggest that getting the flu, having a fever or gaining too much weight while pregnant can all boost the odds of having a child with autism. Certain medications may also raise the risk. For i…

Black children with autism who are hospitalized for psychiatric problems are more impaired than their white peers, according to a new study1. Socioeconomic factors may explain this difference, experts say. Previous research has shown that autistic black children are more likely to be hospitalized fo…

70,000 people are homeless and have lost everything. Source: The Autism Site

By Gretchen McIntire I remember the exact moment when I knew I needed to go back to the place I was born last year. I was listening to a song from the Moana soundtrack while I was out on my daily walk in my neighborhood in Boston suburbs. Something about the music, the sunshine on my back, and the m…

Thoughts on the role of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, from an autistic person.  Note that the views in this essay are my personal opinions only, and not the views of the committee or any government agency.  One role of this committee (IACC) should be to serve as a bridge b…

After the 4-hour flight, the family and officials spent 3 hours searching before they learned Jack had been left at the airport in Crete.Source: The Autism Site

Scientists and administrators are up in arms about the tax reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on 16 November. A provision in the bill dramatically boosts the amount of money graduate students would have to pay in taxes. The move could effectively make academic research an unaffo…

There are tools to help those with autism communicate with first responders, but too few people utilize them.Source: The Autism Site

The post 2018: Year in Review appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Autistic Author Interview Andy Buchan Andy Buchan was a police officer for nearly 30 years and during his time he saw many different aspects of life that made him better equipped to help people. His book, “Autism and the Police,” is a culmination of all of his experience woven into a guide to …

Few scholars are better positioned to tackle the history of mental illness and the stigma we attach to it than Roy Richard Grinker. A cultural anthropologist and autism expert at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Grinker studies how societies around the world view mental health and i…

Autistic people’s skill at managing the demands of daily life starts to decline after they leave high school, according to a new study. But those who maintain more abilities relative to their peers are more likely to pursue further education. Daily living skills — the ability to take care of indepen…

Open Bionics, a pioneering UK-based robotics firm, has made a significant breakthrough in the field of prosthetics with the introduction of the Hero Gauntlet, a state-of-the-art 3D printed finger device. This innovative prosthesis was custom-designed for Suleman Chohan, a 50-year-old London resident…

The lack of adult autism supports didn’t stop Becca Lory from creating what she needs. Here is the beginning of her journey with an Emotional Support Animal. By Becca Lory, CAS, BCCS As a woman diagnosed on the spectrum in adulthood, I struggle to find autism supports, period. But I am not alo…