Doing the same task over and over improves most people’s speed and efficiency, and helps them do it in a new context. But for people with autism, too much repetition can make it difficult to apply the learned skill to a new situation, suggests a study published 5 October in Nature Neuroscience1. “We…

By S. Scott Sanderson I am Autistic, I have Asperger’s. Having Asperger’s allows me to look at the world uniquely. While I am very educated with two master’s degrees, I have had a difficult time with employment. I often have had to struggle with anxiety and communication. Recently I have begun…

Maybe you are also looking for answers, hoping to find meaningful work or feel happier.  I found that it has been helpful to ask and answer certain questions to make decisions and put my life on the path that’s right for me. By Tom Iland Anyone who has seen the movie Flashdance or heard the song ‘Wh…

A chemical tag on DNA that has risen to prominence only in the past few years is altered in people with autism, suggest results from an autism mouse model. The tag, called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), is thought to turn genes on, mostly in the brain. The findings, published 30 September in Human…

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The rescue mentality, the resistance to innovation, and the self-serving “we know what’s best” is ultimately preventing people with disabilities from more individualized supports that could lead to more inclusive lives in our communities. By Dale DiLeo If you are unfamiliar with the term “ableism”,…

By Jack Gunthridge I grew up not knowing I was on the autism spectrum. I knew I was a little bit different than everybody else, but they were seen as quirks. I actually attributed it to being born in the late 70s and being exposed to a mixture of the Village People, Culture Club, and Ronald Reagan i…

Although autism is a behavioral diagnosis, many children with the condition share a physical trait: obesity. For years, the link between autism and obesity was anecdotal. But over the past five years or so, researchers have begun to take a more objective look. A study published 2 November in Pediatr…

I was bullied by other kids, teachers and faculty, my own family at times and bosses and yet I couldn’t communicate what was happening until I was well out of my teens. By Christina MacNeal As someone who was an autistic teen and is now an autistic adult I want to share the problems of bullying that…

A new tool marries an unusually bright fluorescent protein to a light-sensitive pigment to illuminate individual neurons as they fire. The approach, described 19 November in Science Express, could shed light on neuron signaling abnormalities in autism1. Neurons send signals through the brain in mill…

By Debra Muzikar The holiday season can be stressful time. Routines are broken and expectations are high. While for some people, the homemade smell of a cooking Turkey and stuffing can be inviting, for others with sensitivities to smells the aroma can be nauseating! I don’t want to recreate th…

A study of more than 2,500 families that have at least one child with autism has found three factors that influence autism symptoms in an unaffected sibling1. Children who have two or more siblings with autism tend to have more autism traits than those who have only one affected sibling, according t…

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Nearly half of siblings of children with autism have difficulties with attention, language, learning or mood, even when they do not have autism themselves, according to a study of 139 children from infancy to age 9. The study, published 9 October in Autism Research, suggests these siblings need extr…