Autistic children who have behavioral problems tend to have an enlarged right amygdala, a brain region that helps process emotions and detect threats. And in young girls with autism, the region’s size is associated with the severity of these problems. The findings come from a study of 300 autistic c…

#ActuallyAutistic Self-Care Journey By Gretchen McIntire I often reflect on how much more I need to grow and forget to look back at how far I’ve come. Do you ever do that? This month has been about looking back and sitting with how far I’ve come. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve been brave this mo…

Black autistic children are diagnosed later than white children and are often misdiagnosed with other conditions first1. Systemic racism contributes to many inequalities that lead to Black-white disparities in autism diagnosis and outcomes2. Many Black caregivers report that their initial concerns w…

“Autistic burnouts for me feel like the puzzle pieces in Tetris falling so fast you don’t have enough time to line them up before they reach the top and the videogame is over, burnouts leave me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.” Ron Sandison By Ron Sandison I’ve experienced many autistic burnouts …

Chronic electrical stimulation of the fornix, a bundle of nerve fibers deep in the brain, rescues learning and memory deficits in mice with mutations of the autism-linked gene CDKL5, according to new research. The results support previous work in mice suggesting that electrical jolts to this fiber t…

Every once in a while, a bullying story turns around and has a happy ending when others reach out in kindness. That's exactly what happened in the case of 15-year-old Ty, who is on the autism spectrum. Source: The Autism Site

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Although there may be a genetic or biological predisposition to acquire the “schizophrenic trait” of expanded experience, it is really only allowed full expression in the willingness to learn about the unconventional. This willingness alone might be enough to a…

This post was written by David Drake, founder of Stay Smiling. During my undergrad, I stumbled across a store that was run by individuals with developmental disabilities.  I loved the concept as a way to teach life-skills to those with challenges. The participants were involved in a number of tasks …

The young man is crushed at the prospect of losing the job he works so hard at.Source: The Autism Site

We are in the midst of an autism revolution. It’s exciting to see what’s happening and who’s leading it.  What we know about autism has evolved thanks to the growing numbers of autistic individuals who are finding their voices, telling the world about their firsthand experiences, and speaking out ab…

This week, save 15% on our brand new vocational curriculum! Click on the graphic for more details! The post Pick of the Week: The Salad Shoppe! appeared first on Different Roads to Learning Blog. Source: Different Roads to Learning

A new method enables scientists to grow organoids that reliably reproduce the diversity of cells at the brain’s surface1. Brain organoids are tiny bundles of neurons and other brain cells grown from stem cells. They mimic elements of the human brain and may help researchers understand how autistic p…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has over the past week taken multiple actions against makers of stem-cell products. On 5 December, the agency warned California-based Liveyon that its unapproved stem cell products “put patients at risk” due to the possibility of microbial contamination. O…

Parents, caregivers, therapists and teachers alike work so hard to teach a variety of play skills but what happens when your child or student doesn’t make that leap from facilitated play to independent play? Independent play is such an important skill that will allow him or her to better connect wit…