Category: Autism News

Imagine you pick your child up from school, go through her bag and find a letter from her teacher. You see the phrases flash before your eyes: “disruptive in class,” “hit a classmate,” and “damaged school property.”  Naturally, you are very concerned about your child’s behavior and wonder what you can do next. For many…

I used to get so upset when people stared at you. Angry. Defensive even. You’d be flapping your hands. Or making happy noises. Communicating nonverbally. The only way you knew how. One second you’d be on the floor and the next running only to drop to the ground, roll, laugh and pat the ground. Or…

Imagine everything you’d experience while strolling through a mall — the smells, the sights, the things to touch… Now imagine all of those feelings and sensations times, like, a hundred. For many people with autism, overstimulation is their reality. Being over- or undersensitive when processing sensory information (like sights and smells) is common for people…

Two distinct neurodevelopmental abnormalities that arise just weeks after the start of brain development have been associated with the emergence of autism spectrum disorder, according to a new study. And, researchers say, the specific abnormalities seem to be dictated by the size of the child’s brain, a finding that could help doctors and researchers to…

Dogs for Better Lives Programs Pave the Way for Children and Their Families The bond between a child and a dog is often one of the most heartwarming things to see. The special connection takes on an even greater significance when it comes to Autism Assistance Dogs and Facility Dogs. Beyond a furry friend, these…

When you have a child diagnosed with autism, it’s not about you as the parent. At least that’s what we are told. Your sole focus becomes helping your child. Getting them the help they need. Services. Supports. Therapies. Education. And so on. That’s the role of a parent. And that’s how it should be. But…

Nosing around: Mice that receive a social reward after poking their noses in a hole (top) tend to spend more time near that hole compared with controls given no reward (bottom), position heatmaps show. A new assay measures how much effort a mouse exerts to interact with another mouse and gauges the animal’s level of…

When this 16-year-old woman’s brother, who is now 9, was born, her parents didn’t have much time for her anymore. Then, things got even worse after her brother turned 3 and was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since then, her mom has always been extremely busy with her brother, and her dad is barely…