Year: 2023

By Brianna Fitchett, MA, BCBA of Playdates are an important part of childhood. They’re an opportunity to have fun, build friendships, and try new activities. For kids with autism and other developmental disabilities, playdates can be both a challenge and an opportunity to develop their social skills. Planning Playdates for Children with Autism Relationships that…

In this enlightening episode, we explore the unique challenges and experiences of puberty in autistic children. Dr. Whitney Casares and I discuss how to explain physical and emotional changes to neurodivergent teens, address sensitive issues like menstruation and self-exploration, and provide strategies for managing social challenges and inappropriate behaviors. Additionally, we delve into the potential…

Source: Alex Aviles / Getty As society continues to evolve, celebrating the unique talents and perspectives of people with autism enriches our collective narrative and fosters a more inclusive world. About 3% of Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander children have an autism diagnosis, compared with about 2% of white kids. In the Black…

AbstractObjectiveTo summarize the breadth and quality of evidence supporting commonly recommended early childhood autism interventions and their estimated effects on developmental outcomes.DesignUpdated systematic review and meta-analysis (autism intervention meta-analysis; Project AIM).Data sourcesA search was conducted in November 2021 (updating a search done in November 2017) of the following databases and registers: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL…

By Guest Blogger Seph Bartholomew, of Key Autism Services The month of November is a time for reflection and thankfulness, where families and communities express gratitude for their blessings. In the Triad region of North Carolina, this year brings an additional reason for the autism community to be thankful – the establishment of the Key…

by Barbara Fischkin Children in Gaza who have autism enjoyed a day at the beach in July. Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle Our elder, adult son, Dan Mulvaney, has non-speaking autism. For the most part, Dan has a good life. He lives near us—his mother and father—in a lovely group home on Long Island…

Content warning: This article includes mentions of suicidal ideation, ableism. When I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, shortly after I moved into the dorms at Northwestern my freshman year, I had no idea how to talk about it. After years of struggling with my mental health, I finally had a diagnosis that contextualized my…

A hilarious and insightful conversation with Emmett, my 15 year old autistic son. We talk about how between the four of us, three are diagnosed with autism and three with ADHD. We talk about how different everyone is and how just because we may share a diagnosis, doesn’t mean we are all the same. Guest…

There is no single known cause, but researchers have identified genetic mutations that may lead to the condition. The Chinese team noted that both mice and non-human primates had been used in the past to model autism spectrum disorder, in the hope of understanding “the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms”. But they said neither were…

Nearly two-thirds of specialty centers that conduct autism evaluations have wait times longer than four months, according to a new report. The report, focused on the state of pediatric autism diagnosis in the U.S., is based on a survey designed and conducted by Scott Badesch, former president of the Autism Society of America. Cognoa, maker…