When Abigail was 19 months old, she took a ferry with her mother Gillian across the English Channel during a move from Germany to England. On board, she played with a Belgian toddler whose mother, a doctor, took notice of Abigail’s tight muscles and lack of language. (Gillian asked that we omit thei…

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…

Research roundup Is the placenta at the center of sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions? Nature Communications Mothers and fathers differ in their assessments of their child’s autism features. Minerva Pediatrica Autistic adolescents respond to different social-motivation factors than thei…

A new tool can predict a genetic problem called ‘haploinsufficiency’ that can contribute to autism and other developmental conditions1. People have two copies of each gene. In haploinsufficiency, a mutation impairs the function of one copy of the gene, and the other copy cannot produce enough of the…

The Trump administration has summoned at least 70 children under 1 year old to immigration court for their own deportation proceedings since 1 October 2017, according to new U.S. Justice Department data provided exclusively to Kaiser Health News. These children, who may be staying with a sponsor or …

Bev Baker-Ajene waited so long to get an adult-sized wheelchair for her teenage daughter, Savitri, that she eventually forgot she’d ordered it. For the better part of a year, Baker-Ajene pushed Savitri — who has cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia and epilepsy — in a child-sized chair that was too …

A huge new international research collaboration may jump-start the race to develop therapies for autism. With more than 113 million euros (about $132 million) in funding, it is the biggest project to date in autism research. Launched in June, the Autism Innovative Medicine Studies-2-Trials, or AIMS-…

Cash prizes are provided by the Joe Mantegna Family The Art of Autism is seeking art with the themes of Inclusion, Disability, Education, and Acceptance for display at the 43rd Annual Disability Rights Legal Center FDR Dinner September 15, 2018. Submissions are to be sent to info@artautism.com by Au…

Fewer sounds, dimmer lights, no loudspeaker announcements. This is a shopping dream!Source: The Autism Site

Growing up is exciting and challenging for kids and parents alike.  Teens on the autism spectrum may face difficulties in socializing, planning for their futures, and enjoying independence.  Parents may find it hard to know how to support their children through the rites of passage of adol…

Children born to women who had diabetes or high blood pressure while pregnant are at an increased risk of autism, two new studies suggest1,2. Autism has previously been linked to type 2 diabetes and to gestational diabetes — a temporary condition in which a woman develops diabetes during the course …

They thought they'd already hung up. But Leighanne Bromley is glad they didn't.Source: The Autism Site

In 2015, Nicola Grissom traveled to a small town in Maine for a research conference and came to find herself singing karaoke in a room full of scientists. As the first day’s formal activities wound down, Grissom and her colleagues spotted a microphone and projector in one of the conference rooms. Th…

By Annabelle Short Music and the arts can be important avenues to help those on the autism spectrum. This article is going to focus on the use of music to help those on the autism spectrum. Why Music? What does research show about music and autism? One 2004 study looked at the effects that music ha…