Interview by Jenny BristolIllustration by Rebecca Burgess Chris Bonnello is an educator, writer, speaker, and advocate involved with children, adults, and society at large educating on autism-related topics. His experiences in education and writing have helped him connect with people and with cre…

Interview by Jenny BristolIllustration by Rebecca Burgess You didn’t think you could get out of here without learning a bit about me, too, did you? Jenny Bristol (that’s me!) is a freelance writer and author, homeschooling parent of two teenagers, and classic nerd. She’s pub…

Interview by Jenny BristolIllustration by Rebecca Burgess Rebecca Burgess is a talented and creative illustrator and comic artist who works to both create beautiful things and increase positive dialogue surrounding important issues such as autism and asexuality. She has an exquisite talent to com…

The post How people with autism forge friendships appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered schools, transformed hospitals and radically altered daily life. These changes are stressful for everyone but may pose unique challenges for autistic people — many of whom are being cut off from day programs, school services and in-person medical appointments. …

“Reading to a dog can really build a child’s confidence. And we were happy to help out some of the parents who are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged with their studies.” Source: The Autism Site

 It’s World Autism Awareness Day! Though it’s going to be hugely overshadowed this year by the Coronavirus crisis that the world finds itself gripped by, it’s still a day we can choose to recognise and… The post World Autism Awareness Day: 20 things you need to know appeare…

In early March, my colleagues and I heard that our research institute, in Klosterneuburg, Austria, would soon shut down to help slow the spread of coronavirus. We immediately suppressed the impulse to panic and accepted the imminent closure as an appropriate public-health decision in light of the pa…

If the plan is triggered into action, ventilator access in the state would be restricted for people with a variety of medical conditions, including cardiac arrest, severe trauma, dementia, metastasized cancer, severe burns, end-stage organ failure, immunological disorders such as AIDS, and severe me…

Autistry shot into 2020 as if from a child’s slingshot with the Heart of Marin Award quickly followed by the Jefferson Award and now here we all are grounded like naughty teenagers. The Autistry staff was not deterred. Within 2 days of the Shelter-in-Place (SIP) order they had all our clients …

By Christa Holmans, Neurodivergent Rebel When I was first diagnosed autistic, at the age of 29, I started to revisit my childhood memories and situations in my life with a new and fresh perspective. There had always been curiosities. Things about me that were either “very special” or,…

‘Autistic burnout’ is the intense physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by a loss of skills, that some adults with autism experience. Many autistic people say it results mainly from the cumulative effect of having to navigate a world that is designed for neurotypical people. Bu…

The post Webinar: Somer Bishop, Gaia Novarino and Huda Zoghbi on COVID-19 and autism research appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Mice missing an autism gene called SHANK3 respond to much lighter touches than typical mice do, according to a new study1. And this hypersensitivity seems to result from the underactivity of neurons that normally dampen sensory responses. The study is the first to examine sensory sensitivity in mice…